The Halves of Us

by Sydney Paige Richardson

  Adie grabbed Ambrielle’s hand. “I heard a scream. It was Aura. I rushed in, and there was a Sight. It held her in a trance. I froze . . .”

  “You had no weapon. It was okay to not—”

  “I was scared,” Adie interrupted her. “Samuel came through the doors, and Felipe came through the window. He broke through it, and he just stepped in front of her to face the Sight.” The words fell out of her uncontrollably as she cried. “Aura was upset. She had . . . feelings for Felipe.” Adie looked up. “She was in love with him.”

  “Thank you,” Ambrielle said turning toward Samuel. “For saving my daughters, I thank you.”

  “Felipe saved Aura.” Adie stepped aside.

  “And he was very brave for standing between her and the Sight, but Samuel slayed the creature who would’ve turned against you both after killing Felipe,” Ambrielle responded.

  Adie wanted to interrupt her and confess that she had misjudged Felipe based on a premonition, when Ambrielle’s shoulders slumped forward.

  “Mother?” Panic flooded her. What is happening?

  A heavy sigh came from deep within Ambrielle, and her skin went pale as she staggered over toward the table.

  “Mother!” Adie screamed, rushing to her side.

  Gossamer moved around the table quickly to help her.

  “No! No!” Ambrielle cried, bringing her hand to her chest.

  “Ambrielle, what is it?” Gossamer asked, looking at his sister hunched over.

  Her body weakened before them. She tried to gather herself. She stood slowly and turned around to face them, her hollow eyes searching them for answers.

  “The Rokis,” she said, looking down at the pendant that normally shone bright around her chest. “I can’t feel it anymore. I can’t . . .”

  Adie’s breath caught in her throat. No. The center of the Rokis had dulled to a dark gray, and Adie stepped back, unable to breath. Her hand reached for Samuel’s.

  The power of the Rokis no longer belonged to Ambrielle.

  It was time for a new Ruler.

  26

  Aura

  Aura opened her eyes. The details of the wooden carvings on the ceiling slowly came into view. Her head pounded, and her body ached. As the memories flooded back to her, the tears returned. I had no control. The red eyes of the Sight peered into her soul. Its voice echoed in her ear.

  A hand grabbed hers.

  “Felipe?” she said, turning, only to see Adie looking at her.

  Worry filled her eyes. “Oh, Aura, I was so scared! I thought I was going to lose you!” Adie said, squeezing her sister’s hand.

  She lay next to her on the bed, facing her, and gently pushed loose curls away from Aura’s face. Her braid had loosened, and strands had matted to her face from the tears and ash clumping in her hair.

  “I had no control. I don’t even remember how the Sight got there . . . How I . . .” Her memories seemed out of focus—stuck on the edge of a cliff in her mind. She closed her eyes. “He could’ve saved him. He could’ve saved him!” Aura whispered to her sister as warm tears cascaded down her cheeks.

  “Shhh. Shhhh. I know,” Adie said, wiping the tears away.

  Aura looked into her sister’s eyes, searching for answer, but she only saw confusion and unsteadiness. What isn’t she telling me? “What is it? Was there another attack?” Aura asked, attempting to sit up, but a pain in her side made her wince, and she eased back down.

  “Stay. Stay. You have a few bruised ribs from the fall. You fainted. The doctor said you’d be okay with rest and that this would help with the pain,” Adie said as she sat up, taking the cork out of a bottle of medicine and handing it to Aura.

  “What aren’t you telling me?” Aura asked after taking a gulp of the medicine. She instantly felt relief. The pain no longer circulated through her body after every breath. Aura grasped Adie’s hands and felt them trembling.

  Adie opened her mouth to speak but didn’t. She abruptly stood, making her way to the end of the bed.

  “Adie . . . what is it?” she asked again, pushing herself slowly into a sitting position.

  “It’s Mother.”

  “Is she okay?” Aura felt ill. Her face paled. “Was she attacked?”

  “No, she’s okay.” Adie paused. She walked back toward the side of the bed and sat. “Aura, the Rokis. It has stopped working for Mother.”

  “You mean . . .?”

  “Yes.”

  Aura’s head spun, and she lay back down. Felipe is dead. Sights are after me. Adie’s the new Ruler. How could this be what Fate wanted? Adie has just begun her training. This can’t be happening!

  She remembered Zakar’s voice. You will bring me what I want. She shook her head. Should I have told them? Would Felipe still be alive? With everything going on, she had to wonder what Fate had planned. She could only imagine the fear her sister was feeling.

  Looking back at Adie, she saw the welling in her eyes. Before she could speak, Adie began to cry and confess her thoughts.

  “The Ceremony is tomorrow.”

  Wetness fell down her sister’s cheeks. She could barely catch her breath as she spoke. She’s afraid.

  “Mother has moved the Rokis to the Holding Room and returned to bed. There will be a celebration for Samuel,” she said, sobbing. “They’re honoring his heroic efforts in saving me.”

  “But Felipe—”

  “Mother said he’ll be mentioned. She expressed that I needed to find a replacement for Nitari on the Council as soon as possible.”

  “But we should hold a memorial for Felipe. He saved me.” Aura’s bottom lip quivered.

  “I tried to tell Mother, but she was so distraught over the Rokis. She can’t feel its power anymore. She . . . she seemed to age before my eyes . . .” Adie trailed off, looking down at the bottom of the bed. “I’ve decided, at the Ceremony tomorrow, once I receive the Rokis, I will announce the bravery of Felipe in saving you from the Sight. I will, Aura, I promise. The thought of losing you . . .”

  Aura grabbed her sister’s hand and thanked her. She felt relief in knowing her sister would be there to remember Felipe, yet the anger of the needless loss continued to build.

  Samuel could’ve saved him. I could’ve saved him. The tears returned to her eyes, and a scream built in her throat.

  Knowing her expression would betray her, she whispered, “I need to sleep, Adie.”

  “Would you like me to stay?”

  She looked away, knowing if she saw the sadness in Adie’s eyes, she wouldn’t be able to say no. “I’d rather be alone for a while.”

  Silence followed as Adie slowly stood from the bed and exited the room. As soon as Aura heard the door close, she let the cry escape her. She buried her head in the pillow to mask the sound as she wept. He saved me. He saved me.

  Aura jerked awake, remembering the shriek of the Sight. A dull ache in her side reminded her of what had happened. She gradually sat up and brought her hands to her face. Rubbing her eyes, she shuddered as the gritty ash scratched her. She rubbed and rubbed her face until her skin hurt from trying to get the ash off, to no avail. In that moment, she wanted nothing more than to rinse the ash from her skin.

  The silver moons rose high in the sapphire sky, showing no indication of Uni rising soon. She rose from the bed, opening the door and peeking out into the hallway. An elven Guard stood outside her door and acknowledged her.

  She cleared her throat. “I will head to my room.”

  “I have strict orders to escort you around the Dome,” he replied quickly. His yellow eyes stayed locked to hers.

  She nodded and made her way to her chambers with the Guard close behind her.

  “Please stand outside the door here,” she asked him quietly.

  “I must insist—”

  “I’m going to wash up and change, and I would really like the privacy.” She eyed him, daring him to defy her.

  His blue skin darkened, and he nodded.

  Aura stared at her bedroom door
in hesitation. Slowly opening it, she stepped inside. The moonlight shone through the windows, illuminating her room. They cleaned up the ash, but she could still tell where Felipe died. He saved me. Aura’s eyes burned as more tears formed. She let them fall as she made her way to the bathroom and started a shower.

  The hot water stung her skin. Ashy water circled the drain, and she closed her eyes, wishing the water to wash away the memory of losing Felipe.

  She looked at herself in the mirror. Red, sad eyes glared back at her from crying, and the dark circles around them made them sink deeper into her face. She braided her hair and walked back into the bedroom. The wind howled through one of her windows. She stepped over to it, noticing a small streak of blood left on the broken glass.

  Felipe. His dark eyes looking widely at her before their kiss flashed before her. She closed her eyes and clenched her fists. Drawing in a deep breath, she opened her eyes. Could I have saved him? The thought returned to her mind. If only she had told Mother about Zakar. This was his fault. Or is it mine?

  Maybe Zakar can bring him back. I can touch him again, feel his breath on my cheek. Her fingertips grazed her cheek, remembering his lips brushing against them. What I would give to feel—

  Zakar’s words rang in her ears. You will bring me what I want.

  She shook her head as if to say no to his demand, but as quickly as she dismissed Zakar’s words before, now she entertained them.

  If I were to give him the Rokis, I could make a deal. He could give me back Felipe. She bit her lip harder than she realized and winced as the taste of blood met her tongue.

  But if I gave him the Rokis, how would I ever face Adie again? Her heart wept, fracturing into tiny slivers which fell through her body, creating splinters that would forever remind her of a love lost.

  She looked at her trembling hands. Felipe would do it for me, wouldn’t he? Anguish weighed at her shoulders as she slumped, leaning against the wall. There was so much I wanted to tell him. He saw me for me. She choked back the tears flooding her eyes and inhaled deeply.

  Her hand closed into fists as she debated with herself. I can fix this. I can fight. She headed toward her closet and tore clothes off of hangers, muttering to herself about all the ways she could’ve saved him, until she found her Guard uniform. Before she knew it, she was fully dressed and lacing up her boots.

  Her mind fixated on Felipe. I could get Felipe back, and together, we could bring Zakar in. Make him pay for what he’s done! Her mind raced, and her thoughts battled with each other as a grief-stricken madness rolled through her veins. She clamped her teeth, holding in a scream as she fell to the floor of her closet, burying her head in her hands.

  Felipe’s voice echoed in her mind. You cast your own shadow.

  She sneered. Part of her wished she had never known him, and the other part of her begged to have known him longer.

  He saw me as I was. I was Aura, not the future Ruler’s sister.

  Her fists clenched again. If there’s a way to save him, I have to.

  “I need the key to the holding room,” she whispered aloud. Gossamer’s office!

  As she headed for the door, she paused, remembering the Guard. Quietly, she opened the balcony doors and stepped out onto the terrace. The moons gazed at her from a sky speckled with stars.

  Aura moved out onto the ledge, jumping to a balcony below. She ignored the dull ache in her chest from her bruised ribs and continued across the Dome, leaping from balcony to window sill. She held on to the stone of the balconies as tight as she could, begging her grip to stay strong. Finally, she reached the balcony of Gossamer’s office. She climbed over the rail. Her chest rose heavily as she caught her breath and let her muscles relax.

  She tested the door. Locked as usual. For a moment, she stood and looked at the glass door. But without thinking twice, she quickly turned and brought her elbow against the glass, shattering one of the panels. She grimaced, rubbing her elbow and waited for sounds of alarm.

  After a minute, she reached in and unlocked the door. She stepped inside. Glass crunched beneath her feet. The door closed softly behind her, creating a little gust of wind that moved through the velvet curtains. The starlight shone through the double door windows and lit up his desk.

  Aura searched for the keys to the Holding Room. Ever since they broke into the Holding Room four years ago, she overhead Gossamer speak with Ambrielle about hiding the keys after he completed his final round of the Dome in the evenings. She rummaged through his desk drawers and went to his bookshelf, moving a few books around.

  Aura knew they had to be in here. Gossamer didn’t trust many, so he wouldn’t leave them out in the open. But he would leave traps.

  The soft ticking of pendulum clocks echoed around her, and she shivered as the ticking grew louder in the silence of the night. She took a deep breath to calm herself and winced slightly at the dull ache that came from her side.

  She walked over to the array of clocks that Gossamer had lining his office wall and ran her hand over the smooth surface of a wooden clock. Her uncle wasn’t only a collector of clocks, but he also had a hobby of making them.

  In front of her, a smaller wooden clock had its long hand pointed at a carving of Thindoral’s largest moon. Two large, smooth rings circled the sphere. The other hand pointed to a leaf. She ran her hands along the veins of the leaf. Aura stopped in front of a chiseled petrified wood clock that towered over her.

  A loud ringing broke through the silence of the room, and she jumped as the clocks started announcing the time. Their eloquent notes piercing the silent air, making Aura’s breath catch. Her eyes fell to on a clock to her left. The hand placement didn’t match the others. She walked toward it, narrowing her eyes. She reached out, touching it softly as the resonating rings of the clocks slowly faded into their soft ticking. Tracing her fingers along the outside of the clock, she felt the soft curving of fine lines. Her eyes focused on the petals of an intricate flower painted orange.

  She retracted her hand. There, carved into the face of the clock, was the same flower she’d seen in Vadim. How can this be?

  Cautiously, she brought her ear to the clock. No ticking? She reached below it and touched the pendulum, causing it to move from side to side.

  A few loud clanks against metal and wood resonated, and the ring of keys fell to the floor, under the clock. She smiled as she reached for them. Hundreds of keys rested together on the giant iron ring. She moved through them, searching for the key made from petrified wood.

  Using the light from the moons, she located the key. She ran her hands over it, feeling its coldness beneath her fingertips before she quickly removed it from the ring and put the rest back in their hiding place inside the clock.

  She made her way to the door, opening it carefully and peeking out into the hallway. There were no Guards, so she stepped out and rounded the hallways in the Dome, carefully making her way to the Holding Room. The shining door towered above her. Aura hesitated momentarily until she heard the voices of Guards coming down the hallway.

  She fumbled with the key and slipped it into the lock of the Holding Room door. Remembering the weight of the door, she pulled at it and slipped in unnoticed, closing it softly behind her as the Guards voices neared. Once their voices had passed, she looked out over the Holding Room. It was much darker than she remembered. What little light bounced through the stained glass windows created sinister shapes on the floor. Aura nervously made her way toward the stairs leading to the pedestal on which the Rokis lay. Her hands trembled as she stopped on the last step and took a deep breath. She had to do this. For Felipe.

  The center of the Rokis was a soft gray-blue. She remembered placing her hand on the gem with Adie and the terror of Adie disappearing. Reaching toward the Rokis, her hand trembled. Fear and anticipation pumped through her veins as she wondered what would happen this time when she touched it alone. As her fingers touched the cool center of the pendant, the blue light that swirled around in the center diminis
hed. A dull, cloudy glow formed and pulsated below her hands. The sound of the Holding Room door closing behind her startled her, and she gasped. She turned around and jumped into the shadows.

  “Adie? Adie, is that you?” Aura heard Samuel whisper.

  She took a deep breath and clutched the Rokis.

  “Adie, I saw the blue light. It’s okay.”

  Aura took in another breath and replied, “Yes. I just . . . I needed to see the Rokis.” She moved back, hiding in the shadows.

  “Adie, I want to talk to you. About the other day . . . our kiss. And now this Ceremony and the celebration in my honor. I just wanted to talk to you about . . . about us,” Samuel stammered, making his way toward her.

  Aura looked at Samuel as he fidgeted with his hands. “Can this wait?” she whispered.

  Samuel continued up the steps and stood by the pedestal. “Adie, please. In spite of all the chaos going on, my mind keeps . . . I almost lost you today. Let me kiss you again?”

  Aura winced at the sting in the pit of her stomach as Samuel stepped into the shadows to face her. His body was so close. The memory of Felipe’s chest rising and falling against her as they kissed flooded her.

  He brought his hand to her face, and his lips neared hers. Aura fell into the kiss that she once wanted for so long. Tears filled her eyes and butterflies busied in her stomach, but all she remembered was how Felipe felt, and she’d do anything to welcome that feeling back.

  Samuel abruptly stopped and stepped back into the light coming from the windows. With a look of confusion on his face, he touched his lips. “Aura!?” Samuel shouted.

  “Shhh! I’m sorry. I really am. I just need the Rokis—”

  “Aura, how did you get in here!? Why would you let me think you were . . . give me the Rokis!” he shouted again at her.

  “No! I need it.” Her eyes welled.

  “For what? I can’t believe you’re jealous of your sister!”

  “What? No! It’s not like that! I need it for Felipe!” Aura’s voice faltered.

  “What?” Samuel asked, looking at her with pity. “Felipe is dead, Aura. You can’t bring him back.”