The Halves of Us

by Sydney Paige Richardson

  “I think it may be in another language.” Samuel cleared his throat while still moving away from the dust in the air.

  “No, it’s just so old and dusty that the words are hard to read, I think. Yes! Look there. It says, Vadim! Turn the page!” Adie said, turning the page herself.

  Samuel read as he removed the dust from each line of the page. “The Sights speak, but only those who are listening can hear.”

  “Aura,” Adie said softly.

  Samuel continued reading. “The power of the Sights has been documented by my father, who witnessed them in the Battle of Kohtoli, where Bakete fought briefly against Donte for land. The Sights appeared unexpectedly on a gust of wind. Father escaped and reported to Giriveen that the Sights had turned his Tribe into ash. Giriveen dismissed the alleged attack, stating the Rokis could not locate the projection of the event and the Sights had no recorded power.”

  “This must be a journal. But that makes no sense.” Adie stood. “If the Ruler had reports of an attack like that, there would be more than just a request for the Rokis to show a projection. Surely, there would’ve been an investigation of his report.” She paced the room. “Does it say who the Ruler was?”

  Samuel looked back at the book, turned the page, and moved his hand to clear the dust that flew about the air, creating a smoky fog in the room. “Aledriana,” he said, looking up at her.

  “My great-great grandmother?” Adie’s head spun with the memory of the brief story her mother had recently told her. “She lost her husband suddenly, and it was feared that she turned to dark powers to go back in time, but it has never been proven. Maybe it’s all related. But why would the Sights go after this one Tribe? Who wrote this?”

  “This is a rather large book, Adie. And it’s covered in this dusty . . . ash.”

  Suddenly, both leapt away from the book as if it had been struck by lightning.

  “You don’t think it’s . . . ash?” Adie asked while trying to get the dust off her hands.

  “I don’t know. If so, that means whoever hid it here, did so after someone was killed by a Sight. Someone knows about this book, about the Sights’ powers, and felt there was a need to hide it in a secret library. Who would do that?”

  “Knowing this information and what my mother told me, this is the breakthrough we need. Someone knew the Sights had powers. This would’ve been valuable information . . .” She glanced at Samuel.

  He looked solemn and spoke softly. “We have the information now. We must figure out what to do with it. You said you heard Tut and the Sandman talking about the secret library. We should go to—”

  The door to her chambers opened. “Ambrielle requests your attendance in the Council Room. Immediately.” The elven Guard from the hallway eyed them both with grave looks. His ears twitched again, and his blue skin darkened.

  Adie quickly grabbed the black book off her bed, wrapping her arms around it to help maintain its weight. She stood tall. “No, we need to meet with Ambrielle! Immediately,” she said, walking past the Guard with her head held high.

  Samuel followed.

  The Guard escorted them down the hallway. Shadows danced along the walls, making the etchings appear darker than normal.

  Adie tried to keep her confident stature and looked over at Samuel, who was having difficulty hiding his nerves. His hand twitched at his side. She grinned at him, hoping to reassure him that everything would be okay. He took the book from her, managing to hold it in one hand, grasp hers with the other, and return her smile.

  The Guard in front stopped directly in front of the Council Room and opened the doors. Ambrielle sat at the head of the table. Her eyes gazed forward, and her brow furrowed in thought.

  Adie assertively walked in with Samuel by her side, but when the doors slammed shut, she shuddered and quickly removed her hand from Samuel’s grip.

  Her mother didn’t even turn to look at them. “Sit,” she said firmly.

  Adie quickly sat in the chair next to her, and Samuel stood behind her.

  “A Guard informed me you were in the library . . . on my orders,” she said, turning her gaze to Adie.

  “Mother, if you’d just let me explain,” Adie said.

  “We are at war with Vadim, and forces we didn’t know had powers, have proven to be extremely powerful, and you’re holding hands and going to the library?” Ambrielle asked in a tone that Adie had a hard time deciphering. “How did you get past Seriat?”

  “Mother, we found something,” Adie said as Samuel dropped the book in front of Ambrielle.

  Ash spilled over from the pages as it fell heavily on the table.

  Ambrielle stood quickly, gazing at the book and flipping it open. “Where did you find this?” she asked quietly.

  Before Adie could speak, Samuel spoke from behind her. “We found it in the library. In a secret library within the library.” He walked closer to Adie and placed his arm on her shoulder.

  She nodded at her mother, agreeing with him.

  “You found the hidden library?” Ambrielle flipped the pages, and a cloud of dust and ash circulated around her.

  Mother knows of the hidden library? Adie opened her mouth to speak, but her mother gasped.

  Ambrielle placed her hand on the center of the Rokis. Its gem turned bright blue. “Bring me the Sandman.”

  From behind her, the wind picked up. Sand fell to the floor before them and rose, creating a tall, slender figure. As the wind settled, Adie stood, tilting her head to look up. She’d only seen the Sandman a few times up close, and even now, the sight of him was something she marveled at. His slender frame was formed from sand. Each finger, feature, and lock of hair. His abstract features where hauntingly beautiful.

  “You must have news, bringing me here in the midst of war,” he said. His voice echoed from the corners of the room.

  Ambrielle motioned to the book, her eyes wide. “They’ve found it . . . They found it in the hidden library!” Her lips curled into a smile as she pushed the book toward the Sandman.

  The Sandman reached out his long arm, his six fingers grazing the book. He turned toward Adie. “The library! Where was it?”

  Adie found herself unable to speak. Her focus remained locked on the giant man made from sand.

  Samuel repeated himself. “We found it in the main library. We found a door on the floor after we . . . but when we got in there and touched this book, the room started to spin, and it sealed itself shut . . .” Samuel’s voice trailed off. His head fell as he silently cursed himself for his inability to speak clearly.

  The Sandman turned back toward Ambrielle. “The library—a perfect place to hide a library that doesn’t exist. The last place someone would think it was hidden.” He hissed and made his way toward the chair on the other side of Ambrielle.

  He took his place at the table and rested his long hands on the smooth surface as Ambrielle moved the book in front of him. As he opened it, ash spiraled into the air. His eyes blinked, and the left one drooped as it looked over at Adie, who had returned to her seat.

  She shifted uncomfortably at his stare. Why is he looking at me like that?

  “My father had been missing for decades. At least now we know for sure what happened to him,” he said. He traced his hand over the ash covering the pages.

  Adie’s heart sank. The ash is his father.

  “Is that who wrote the book?” Samuel asked, sitting next to Adie.

  “Yes. My father wrote most of it. I wrote parts. He wrote his account of his Tribe being attacked and the Ruler not investigating his report. They called him insane, banished him from his seat at the Council, and arrested him. I came to him one night to inform him I’d been asked to join the Council in his place. They released him two Seasons after.”

  “It’s not unusual for the sand creatures to serve more than one Ruler, as their lifespan is much longer than most inhabitants of Thindoral,” Ambrielle interjected.

  The Sandman turned to her and nodded. “I felt as though I was betray
ing him for serving the Council, but he made me promise to do it wisely. He told me about the book he’d put in his library, and he told me to find the truth. His story was written in it, and now it was my turn to prove him right. My father was a wise man, and I had never seen him so frightened.” He stopped and glanced over at Adie. “Aledriana was a scared woman. She wasn’t ready to be without her husband, and her ruling was one filled with many secrets. Other Rulers after her turned their eyes away from the holes she had created. Holes full of lies and hidden agendas.”

  “Did you create the hidden library?” Adie asked.

  The Sandman shook his head. “My father’s mother did. They hid it years ago, deep in the dunes of our region. After his brother’s death, my father entrusted me with his key to it. We worked there together for years. But after my father went missing, I went to use the key, and the door was gone.”

  “What happened to your father after that?” Adie asked, looking at the sadness that the sand had created on his face.

  He avoided the question, running his hand along the book pages again, feeling the ash between his fingers. “I’d been doing research and working with the Etoyoc to get into Vadim and find proof. I had so much research written in this book. Everything my father saw and his drawings. I came to my father one day, begging for him to join me in meeting with the Ruler. I believed I had enough evidence to show her that this needed to be looked into.”

  “What evidence?” Adie asked.

  “An Etoyoc came forth, saying they had seen something similar to what my father had described. They never came forward before, in fear of what the Sights would do. I promised him safekeeping. He said he had spoken to a Sight and the Sight had touched him. He said he felt the life being drained from him. Fortunately, the Sight was scared off by sounds of the others coming.”

  “So you brought the book, the Etoyoc, and your father as proof that something was going on in Vadim?” Adie asked.

  The Sandman nodded, bits of sand falling from his chin on the table below.

  “What happened?”

  “Let me show you,” said the Sandman, rising from his chair. He walked around the table, toward Adie.

  She stood quickly, facing him.

  He held out one of his six fingers to her face. “Trust me.

  Adie looked at her mother, who nodded.

  She felt the cool, rough texture of sand on her forehead, and she was transported into the memories of the Sandman. Her surroundings changed, and before her stood a short, red-haired woman. Her beauty was reminiscent of her mother, but she was plump with dark forlorn eyes.

  The lady moved through Adie as though she wasn’t even there. As she turned to follow the woman, she saw her yelling at two men made of sand. One much shorter, and a dark, hairy creature that Aura assumed was the Etoyoc. Guards stood behind them, and as Adie watched, she heard the Sandman’s voice in her head.

  “I brought my proof to Aledriana, but she informed me that I’d been duped. She said Etoyoc could not be trusted, that they were foul and disgusting creatures. My father had been deemed crazy, and I was listening to the ravings of a madman.”

  Adie watched as Aledriana took the book and threw it on the table. Her blue and gold velvet dress spun with her sharp movement. The Guards hauled off the Etoyoc in chains, dragging him on the floor. He screamed at the Sandman, who could do nothing but watch. His father placed a hand on this shoulder.

  Adie walked out the door after the Etoyoc and watched as more Guards stormed in, brushing past her. She heard a scream behind her and turned as the Guards placed shackles made of fire on the Sandman’s father. Adie watched the man writhing in agony as his wrists turned to glass. The screaming grew louder, and the Sandman tried to help his father, begging Aledriana to let him go.

  The Sandman’s voice filled her head again. “They seized the book, or so I thought, and my father and the Etoyoc. They told me to never speak of this again, or I’d suffer a Fate that wasn’t my own.”

  Adie ran over to Aledriana, trying to tug at her dress, but her hand went right through the image. “Stop! You must stop this!” she screamed.

  The image faded, and Adie blinked her eyes. She was back in the Council Room. The Sandman walked back to the other side of the table, and Adie caught her breath.

  He continued with his story. “My father was said to be imprisoned, and I never saw him again. The Etoyoc was said to have never existed. When I asked about the book, no one knew what I was speaking of. I kept my mouth shut in fear of what would be done to me, but I knew I had to wait for the right time. I secretly searched for years for the book and the library. Not until your mother came to rule and started asking questions, did I have a trustworthy person to help me.”

  Ambrielle looked at the Sandman and put her hand on top of his. “I knew there were secrets about Aledriana. Her grandson, my father, would tell me how distraught she acted towards the end of her ruling and right before her death. She felt as though she’d done so much wrong and didn’t know how to make it right. Most thought Aledriana was delusional as she was on her deathbed. It wasn’t until the Sandman came to me and told me he was searching for a book, that I pried deeper and put the pieces together. Tut and Gossamer aided in the search for the book and the library, but to no avail.”

  Samuel’s voice broke Adie’s attention on her mother. “Okay, so we know Aledriana knew the Sights had powers. We know she tried to hide that, in hopes she would see her husband one last time. But do we know why the Sights wanted to attack that one Tribe and make sure no one knew about it?”

  The Sandman opened the book toward the back pages. He turned to look at Adie as he sighed. “This is the discovery I’ve been waiting on for decades. I know my father is officially resting, and we now have more proof than ever that something is going on in Vadim. I’d like to still visit my father’s library to see if we can learn more from his research, but I think I already know what the Sights are after. And after all these years, their plan is falling into place.”

  “Plan for what?” Adie asked.

  “I believe they wanted to see if their powers were strong enough to kill. The sand people, Syrites, are the hardest to kill. Even fire can’t fully destroy us,” said the Sandman.

  The image of his father in the fiery cuffs haunted Aura’s mind.

  “Wendelone will never be satisfied to remain in her tree. She has plotted and planned for thousands of years, and my people are a threat to her. We live for many, many years. I think she was testing the Sight’s powers, and they are after even more power.” He eyed the Rokis.

  “But as far as we know, they can’t physically carry the Rokis to Vadim. It’s too powerful, and Wendelone is still the tree . . .” Adie trailed off.

  Ambrielle spoke up. “We didn’t even know the Sights could kill, so maybe they may have figured out a way to get the Rokis to Vadim.”

  “But the Rokis was created for the Rulers only. Its true power can only be harnessed by them.” Samuel repeated the words from their Teachings a few days before.

  “Power is power. With threatening power and destructive capabilities, a seemingly insignificant individual can overpower a world. Good can be turned to evil with just one ounce of darkness. Darkness consumes light,” the Sandman said.

  Adie stood. “How would the Sights free Wendelone from the Wicked Willow? We’re missing something.”

  “What do we do now?” Samuel asked.

  “You’ve done all you can do,” Ambrielle replied. “The Sandman will do what needs to be done now that he has the book back. He can continue his research.”

  “We found the book. I can help. I can show you where we found the hidden library, and perhaps we can help with putting that back together,” Adie said, looking over at the Sandman.

  The Sandman looked at her. “I thank you for all that you’ve done. I must return to Bakete. I saw in your mind where my father had hidden his library. I will do my best to recover what’s left. I’ll let you know as soon as I find something.” T
he sand fell from his face, and Adie could no longer see his eyes as a small rush of wind gathered and he disappeared completely.

  “Please,” Ambrielle turned to Adie, “return to your chambers. We’ll discuss this in the morning. You’ve done all that you can do.” Ambrielle took the Rokis off and laid it on the table.

  “Mother, I can help more!” Adie looked at her mother, whose skin had suddenly dulled, and her shoulders drooped. She looks so frail.

  Ambrielle hunched forward, and her eyes seemed sullen. Adie reached for the Rokis and touched its center gem.

  “No!” Ambrielle shouted, but she was too late. Adie nearly fell back as a projection shot out around the room.

  “Adie, your eyes!” Samuel ran up to her.

  She brought her free hands to her cheeks. “Are they blue?”

  He nodded.

  Her mother went to her knees as she looked at the image. “Adie . . . how did you . . .”

  Glancing around her, Adie saw a building and Gossamer limping up to it. What Mother saw when she first touched the Rokis. She watched as Gossamer walked up to the building, carrying a bundle in his arms. “The baby . . .” He lay it on the ground, and the projection vanished.

  “Oh Adie,” Ambrielle said, as tears fell down her cheeks.

  Samuel caught his breath and spoke. “What . . . what was that?”

  Adie helped her mother. “I just wanted to show Mother that she needs me. I was trying to prove it.”

  Ambrielle turned to face her, wiping her tears away. Ambrielle’s voice quivered as she spoke. “I need you to leave and return to your chambers.”

  “But did you not just see what I can do for you? I just showed you what you saw years ago. We may be able to see my premonitions—”

  “Leave, and go to your chambers!” Ambrielle said. Her voice grew shrill as she reached for the Rokis and placed it on her chest. Her shoulders instantly rolled back into their upright place.

  Samuel came from behind Adie and rested his hands on her shoulders, moving her toward the door. They quietly left the Council Room.