Finding Refuge: The Marked Ones

by Cathi Shaw

  “Can’t you have breakfast with your sister this morning?” he asked before she could say a word. “Meldiron and I thought we’d work on translating the Prophecy.”

  “What?” Mina blurted out, unable to believe her ears.

  Meldiron smiled at her indulgently. “I know you probably want to help, Mina, but Arion and I have been speaking the Elder language for our entire lives. We do have a better chance of making some sense of the document.” He paused. “I can spend some time with you this afternoon,” he offered with a warm smile.

  Mina stared at her brother and then at Arion, trying to figure out what was going on here.

  “Princess, you must be hungry.” Arion said soothingly as he turned her gently toward the door.

  Princess?! He hadn’t called her that in weeks. What the heck was happening? She turned back to ask him as he pushed her out the door but before she could say a word the door was closed in her face.

  #

  Mina was livid about being locked out of work on the Prophecy. For some reason Arion hadn’t told Meldiron about her role in deciphering the document. Nor had he told him that she had been the one to find it! Instead he kept Meldiron working on the Prophecy with him from dawn to dusk and wouldn’t even let her in the room.

  Thia meanwhile was becoming more and more worried about Teague. On their third day at the inn, Thia demanded to see Meldiron.

  To Mina’s surprise her brother and Arion joined them in their sitting room.

  “We must move on,” Thia said firmly in a manner that was surprising to Mina. Even more surprising was that Meldiron agreed.

  “Arion and I are making no progress with the Prophecy. We can do this just as easily in the Refuge as here and, at least there we will have the assistance of Bellasiel and other Elders. Even Omen might be able to help translate.”

  Mina waited for Arion to say that she could help but he kept surprisingly quiet about her ability to read the Prophecy. And try as she might, he wouldn’t meet her eye nor could she get him alone for even one minute to try to have him explain what was going on. He was steadfastly avoiding her. And she couldn’t figure out why. Something was definitely amiss.

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  The night before they were scheduled to leave Bermgarten, Thia decided to try a dreamwalk. If she could find Teague and let him know they were on their way, perhaps it would ease his mind.

  For some reason Thia decided to look for Teague at the meeting place she hated most. She couldn’t say why she decided to go there rather than their usual meeting spot by the riverbank. Ever since she lost contact with Teague she’d been trying all the different dreamscapes to connect with him. But this was the first time she’d gone to that dark dreamscape. Every other time the dreamworld had felt empty. But this time it was almost as if she was drawn to that dark desolate place that Teague had only taken her to once before.

  She’d been 10 years old the last time they had been in this dreamscape together. She had looked for Teague here when he had been in a coma. But he’d never gone back there at least not with her.

  Once she made up her mind to go to a particular dreamscape her dreams shifted and she was instantly in the space. This time was no different. She simply thought of the place she hated most in her dreams and there she was.

  This dreamscape Teague had created. At least that was what Thia believed. It was possible to create your own dreamscape. She’d created such places often as a child. You couldn’t create people to inhabit such places but you could create the scene. She wasn’t sure where characters in the dreamscapes came from but she didn’t seem to ever have control over them.

  When she was small she’d created a number of dreamscapes of her own. They were always the same: sunny, happy places filled with sweet smelling flowers and the buzz of insects and the sweet song of birds. But Teague’s dreamscape was different. Where her creations were always filled with joy, his dreamscape was dark and frightening. It was filled with skeleton-like trees and the wind was always blowing. Thia wondered if Teague had created it as an expression of his time with the Draíodóir.

  Regardless of why Teague had created this place, Thia only knew that it evoked fear in her. She avoided it whenever she could and Teague had never pushed her to return to this place. Feeling cold fingers of the doubt skitter over her spine, Thia stepped forward.

  “Teague!” she called into the cold howling wind but her words were caught and swirled around before being blown away. “Teague!” she called again feeling hopeless but yet at the same time sensing that this dreamscape wasn’t as empty as it had been the last time she been here. It was almost as if there was a sinister presence lurking behind the bare tree trunks.

  Suddenly, just ahead of her, a dark shadow moved through the trees. “Teague?” she called moving in the direction that the shadow was standing. The shadow ignored her and moved deeper into the forest. Thia could hear it muttering as she followed it. It was making strange guttural noises that didn’t sound quite human and yet were eerily similar to Teague’s voice. She picked up her pace, ignoring the bare branches that were grabbing at her arms as if to hold her back.

  And then the shadow was gone, vanished into thin air. Thia blinked unable to believe her eyes. She scanned the skeletal forest in front of her but saw nothing. She wondered if it had been Teague and if he had shifted out of this dreamscape. After a moment’s hesitation, Thia decided that she would shift to the riverbank and see if she could find him there. She stopped, turned around and the shadow swooped at her out of nowhere, grabbing her by her neck and slamming her painfully against a tree trunk.

  Why are you following me? It was Teague but not the Teague she knew. This Teague had wild crazed eyes, their silver color glinting with an emotion Thia couldn’t name. He pulled back his lips and hissed at her as his fingers closed more tightly over her throat.

  Thia tried to speak but her throat was being crushed and only gasps were escaping her lips. Her hands went to Teague’s arms trying to break the grip but his arms were like steel. She began to panic and then remembered she didn’t need to speak with words.

  Teague let me go! His face tightened in fear and confusion as his fingers increased the pressure and Thia saw dark spots begin to fill her field of vision. Teague, its me, Thia.

  His eyes rolled in his head crazily as he kept the grip on her neck tight. Stop trying to get into my head. He snarled the words and shook her slightly.

  The black dots began to join and completely cloud her vision. In terror, she suddenly realized that Teague was not going to let her go. In fact he seemed determined to choke the life out of her. And if she died in a dreamscape she didn’t know if she died in the waking world as well.

  Suddenly desperate, Thia forced her mind to clear all the terror and fear she was feeling. She pushed the panic away and concentrated on her breathing. Once she’d calmed herself she focused on her lifeforce and felt her energy beginning to ebb. Thia built it up and then directed all of her energy into Teague.

  Teague dropped Thia to the ground as he flew back across the forest floor and lay dazed and breathing heavily.

  Thia gasped to get her breath back, her hands going to her throat where she could still feel his fingers around her neck.

  Then she stood and walked over to Teague. He looked up at her, horror filling his face. Thia? Thia, what have I done? He began to sob roughly and she dropped to her knees by his side.

  Sshhh, Teague, I’m alright. I’m fine.

  But I tried to kill you. He moaned in anguish. I would have killed you if you hadn’t stopped me.

  Thia knew it was true but she also sensed that this was not the right time to speak of it.

  Teague, I’m fine though. You didn’t hurt me, she told him, ignoring the burning sensation around her neck. Can you leave this dreamscape? She asked, feeling the skeleton forest press down on them.

  Teague looked around, his eyes darting distrustfully through the trees. Yes, let’s go to the riverbank, he said softly, his voice
almost pleading.

  Cradling his head in her lap, Thia focused on shifting them to the riverbank and instantly they could feel the warm sunshine and hear the song of birds.

  Teague dissolved completely into tears, his sobs filling the air. Thia sat quietly stroking his curls and at an utter loss as to what to say or do. Usually it was Teague comforting her. She’d never seen him like this before. After a time, he calmed and eventually he sat up and looked at Thia.

  I haven’t been able to get here, he explained. I was stuck in that forest.

  Have you been there since we last met? Thia asked in confusion. It had been weeks since she’d seen Teague.

  But he was shaking his head. I haven’t been able to sleep until … his voice trailed off.

  But Thia focused on his words. You haven’t slept in weeks? She asked.

  Thia, I killed an innocent, Teague said suddenly, horror flooding his features.

  Teague, whatever happened in that Dreamscape, wasn’t real.

  It wasn’t in the Dreamscape, he said so softly she had to strain to catch the words, his eyes reflecting pure misery.

  Fear gripped Thia’s heart. What do you mean? She asked cautiously.

  Kiara’s little friend. Teague closed his eyes. I killed a little girl, Thia. I choked the life out of her. And I felt powerful doing so.

  Thia stared at Teague, refusing to believe that he knew what he was saying. He was disoriented and confused. Even now his eyes kept shifting restlessly making him look slightly wild.

  Teague, tell me everything. From the time we last met.

  Teague shared with her what had been happening. He told her about Omen’s sessions wherein the former Draíodóir helped him erect a block to the other Draíodóir.

  But to build the wall, I had to let him into my mind, Teague explained. And after the wall was built he continued to come into my mind and to try to unravel other connections. He paused. It was Omen who made it so I couldn’t sleep.

  Thia listened in horror as Teague described how he’d tried to fight Omen’s growing influence over his mind. Caedmon and Kiara had been searching for the Marked children and finding them. All summer they’d been bringing children to the Refuge but Teague was certain that Bellasiel and Omen were collecting the Marked children for sinister purposes.

  What happened with the child? Thia asked softly. The one you think you … she couldn’t finish the sentence.

  Teague shuddered. Kiara should never have left her with me, he said softly, his voice raw. I killed her, Thia.

  How did it happen? She asked, still refusing to believe it. She knew Teague better than anyone. She knew he couldn’t harm any living thing. To believe he would kill an innocent child was unthinkable.

  He clearly didn’t want to speak about it. Thia decided not to press him. They could talk about it when she arrived at the Refuge. A conversation like this was better to have in person anyway.

  Teague was shaking his head. Then they took me to the dungeons.

  Thia was shocked. There are dungeons in the Refuge? She asked, unable to process all he was telling her. She couldn’t believe that the sanctuary Bellasiel had told them about had dungeons. That didn’t sound like a sanctuary at all!

  Teague nodded. Well developed ones.

  Thia was silent for a few moments, digesting what he’d just said. Why would there be dungeons in an old mine? It didn’t make sense.

  Is that where you are now? She asked after a few moments.

  Yes.

  And you can sleep again?

  Teague paused. I don’t know if it’s truly sleep. When they beat me eventually I lose consciousness.

  Thia was horrified. Teague was being beaten? Why? The whole point of them going to the Refuge in the Eastern Mountains was to get help for Teague not for him to be beaten and tortured.

  Who beats you Teague?

  The guards.

  Suddenly a look of terror crossed over Teague’s face. They are waking me, Thia.

  What? No one had ever pulled either of them from a dreamwalk. Typically they could leave when they were ready but Thia hadn’t thought it was possible for either of them to be removed from a dreamwalk.

  Teague, stay here with me. Look at me.

  Suddenly Teague’s body began to dissolve in front of her eyes.

  Teague! She cried.

  Come to the Refuge, Thia. Get here as fast as you can.

  Teague words echoed through the riverbank and then he was gone.

  #

  Thia woke with a start. The sky was just brightening outside the window to the inn and Mina was snoring softly in the bed next to her.

  She quietly slipped out of bed and went across the room to where a mirror was hanging on the wall.

  Thia stared at her reflection in horror, her fingers tracing the purple bruises where Teague’s fingers had closed around her neck. She would have to wear a scarf in order to hide the marks from her sister and the others. For reasons she didn’t want to examine too closely, she wanted to keep Teague’s violence from them.

  Digging through her bag, Thia pondered what the marks might mean. Did it mean that the dreamwalks really were a different reality as Teague had originally suggested they might be? When they were trying to figure out what the dreamwalks meant and what they were he’d been certain the dreamwalks were a different reality. Thia had discounted that as nonsense but Teague had been really excited by the idea. Now Thia was afraid he might be right. The dreamscapes might be a different reality - a reality that was as real as this one.

  Thia traced the dark purple marks, they looked just like fingers wrapped around her neck. If the dreamwalks were a different reality, then it was possible that what happened in them was real. The marks on her neck suggested that was the case. And if that were true, then was it possible to die while in a dream?

  She gasped. It wasn’t outside the realm of possibilities. And Teague had seemed scared while in the dreamwalk. Almost as though he’d been being hunted. Thia wondered if there were others that could enter the dreamwalks. Although Teague was the only one Thia knew who could dreamwalk, it made sense that there would be others who also could do it. Maybe there were others that were even more proficient at it than Teague and her; others who weren’t necessarily good people. If there were then Teague would be in danger.

  Wrapping the scarf quickly around her neck, Thia nudge Mina awake. The sooner they got to the Refuge the sooner she could help Teague. Until then she feared he would be in serious danger.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  Mina watched Thia closely. Her small sister, who hated riding, was pushing them all to make this last leg of the journey as quick as possible. After a brief discussion in their room at the inn, Thia had said they had to get to the Refuge soon and then she’d spoken of Teague no more. But Mina had seen the worry that passed through Thia’s golden eyes when she thought no one was looking. It was clear that, for Thia, they couldn’t arrive at the Refuge fast enough.

  Mina herself was looking forward to the end of their adventure. While she’d been eager to travel before Bermgarten, the joy she took in new discoveries had been tainted by her experience with Arion. She couldn’t shake her anger at being shut out of the Prophecy work. And what hurt more was that she didn’t understand his sudden distance. Arion was still avoiding her. She thought they were almost friends. Suddenly, she remembered what he’d told her on the beach all those weeks ago. He’d insisted that he was not her friend. She thought it was just his silly standoffishness because she was the Elder princess but now she wondered if he was telling her something entirely different. Did he mean that he actually could never be her friend? If that was true, then what was he to her? Whatever his role it was clear that he didn’t care about her feelings.

  Why she wasn’t included with Meldiron to work on the Prophecy was still a mystery. She’d turned the matter over and over in her mind and the only explanation she’d come up with was that Arion didn’t trust Meldiron. But that didn’t make any sense whatsoever
. The two Elders were close. Meldiron had once told her that Arion was the closest thing he had to a brother. And yet Mina couldn’t come up with any other explanation for Arion’s behavior.

  Since her brother had arrived in the city, Arion had steadfastly avoided her. Even while they travelled, she noticed that he was the first to volunteer to go ahead and scout their path. At night he always made sure his sleeping roll was on the opposite side of camp from her own. And he avoided her eyes constantly. Mina couldn’t help being hurt. And her hurt quickly escalated to anger. As a result she had distanced herself from Meldiron. Which perhaps was not fair but her brother’s happy demeanor just made her more frustrated.

  At first Meldiron tried to start conversations with her but when she often refused to engage in an extended dialogue him, he began to take the hint and started to spend most of his time speaking to Xyrisse. Mina took slim satisfaction from the fact that Meldiron and Arion rarely exchanged words for some reason. Mina was beginning to wonder if they’d argued and if that was why Meldiron had agreed so readily to starting on the road to the Eastern Mountains.

  One night when the camp was asleep except for Meldiron and Arion, who were on guard duty, Mina was woken by the sound of angry voices. She listened for a moment and realized that the two of them were arguing in the Elder language. Realizing she was the only one in the camp who could understand them, she rolled over and listened intently.

  “Meldiron, I’m telling you that we shouldn’t trust Bellasiel and Omen so readily. They were very much in the confidence of the Elder council.”

  “But Bellasiel can be trusted, Arion. I’m sure of it.”

  “You are sure of it? I am closer to her than you, practically her son and I am not sure of it.” Arion said bitterly. “You do not know all she has done.”

  Meldiron sounded impatient. “Arion, Bellasiel saved your life once. You are not going to forgive her for not approving an ill-fated marriage when you were no more than a boy?”