Aura heard a noise and shut the book. She walked into the hallway, holding the book, and saw no one. Turning back toward the room, she reached out, beckoning the sparks. The broken door lifted from the center of the room and slowly returned to its place. She turned, walked away, and raised her hand, twisting it slightly. The door snapped locked, and she smiled. I could get used to this.
37
Adie
Something’s wrong with Aura. Adie’s thoughts raced through her mind. She isn’t ready. She paced her room. Her iridescent dress shimmered from Uni’s setting light coming through her balcony doors. She’s hiding something from me.
Adie jumped as a knock came at her door. “Come in!” she shouted. Her stride grew longer as she walked from one side of her room to the next. I don’t like feeling this way.
She eyed the Rokis sitting on the corner of her bed as Samuel entered with a wide grin on his face.
“This isn’t a time for smiling. I think Aura . . .” she paused.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, closing the door softly behind him.
Adie stopped and glanced at Samuel. Worry filled his kind eyes. She contemplated telling him everything going on with Aura but didn’t want to burden him. It could be nothing. They had defeated Zakar, after all.
“Nothing. I’m just tired. I think I’ll go to bed.” She lied. She knew she would lie awake all night and force herself not to close her eyes, in fear of a new premonition.
Samuel came toward her and put his hands on her shoulders. “There’s something I wanted to talk to you about.” He shifted his weight from foot to foot, gently swaying as his gaze fell away from her.
I’ve never seen him like this before. Her mind wandered to all the possibilities as his lips parted but no words escaped.
He chuckled nervously. “That day when we went into the Room of Papers, I should’ve told you immediately, but I was hesitant.” He stepped forward, taking her hands. His nerves seemingly vanished. “I’m not afraid now. This is Fate telling us where we are meant to be. Adie, my Fate is you.”
Adie took a few steps back and caught herself on the edge of the bed. Is his Fate me? Was I on his paper? But he wasn’t on mine.
“Adie, are you okay?”
“Yes, it’s just I—”
“Was I not on your paper?”
She frowned, not wanting to recall the image. “You weren’t, but that doesn’t mean . . .” Her gaze fell to the floor.
He lifted her chin, and their eyes met. “Adie, I want to stand by your side. Forever. Will you be mine?”
She turned away from Samuel, releasing her hands from his. Warm tears stung her eyes. “I can’t tell you what’s on my paper, Samuel.” Her heart beat loudly.
She faced him again. He brought one hand to her cheek, wiping the tears streaming down.
“But what I can tell you, is I’m afraid of my Fate,” she whispered.
“Adie, there’s no need to be afraid. I’ll always be there to protect you. You don’t have to worry. I’m here.”
A comfort flowed through her after hearing his words. She ignored the image of her Fate paper and willed it to the back of her mind. “I’m yours.”
He embraced her.
She beamed as his arms wrapped around her and tried to hide her worry. How am I going to tell Aura about this? I shouldn’t be falling in love with Samuel when the edges of Thindoral are fraying. She furrowed her brow. But I’m allowed happiness, even as the Ruler, right?
“I meant it when I said you’re my Fate,” he whispered. “When I found my paper, it was of you. You were dressed in odd clothes. A thick, long-sleeve shirt hung low on your body. It was a deep purple and had abstract lettering I didn’t recognize. But it was you. You held on tight to the Rokis. Your eyes were wide and seemed to look right at me. You are my Fate.”
She stepped back. Her eyes lingered on Samuel. She ached for a moment, wishing as hard as she could that he had been on her paper. He looked so elated.
She forced her lips to curl into a grin. “Please, let’s keep this secret. I would like to tell Aura first and in person. She’s going through a lot, and I think it would be best to keep this between us for a few days. Just a few days.”
Samuel kissed her forehead. “You worry too much about her. But I understand. It’s our secret until you tell me otherwise.”
“Thank you.” Adie squeezed his hand. “I really do think I should go to bed now. It’s been a busy day.”
“I understand.” He smiled kindly at her and turned to walk out the door.
As Adie watched him leave, she sat on the edge of the bed. The Rokis pulsated. She picked it up and placed it on her chest, welcoming the rush of calmness, and lay back on the bed.
“I can be happy,” she said aloud, squeezing the pillow next to her.
A thin strip of light revealed an expansive room with infinite walls which fell into a darkness overhead. She didn’t recognize the giant room, but she made her way toward a sliver of light on her left. Curtains! She pulled the curtains open, revealing two windows that seemed hundreds of feet tall. Light beamed in from the moons.
Adie turned, facing the room. The walls were covered with mirrors of different shapes and sizes. She walked toward one on her left and reached out to touch the intricate design around a mirror. It moved beneath her hand. She pulled away and looked around.
The mirrors were floating effortlessly a few inches away from the walls! She walked toward the farthest wall, past tall rectangular mirrors and smaller oval-shaped ones. Something seemed off, but she couldn’t place it. She faced the mirror. Her eyes narrowed at the mirror upon seeing no reflection in it or any of the others. She looked at herself. A white nightgown covered her, but the Rokis wasn’t on her chest.
Countless mirrors floated around the room, almost completely covering any view of the walls. She glanced around the room and walked toward the other side, searching for a door. An uneasiness rose inside her.
There was no door.
She kept walking and had almost made it fully around the room, when a reflection caught her eye. Walking toward the mirror, she watched as a version of herself stared back at her. She again looked at the white dress she was wearing and back at the reflection. The reflection wore a dark blue dress. It jeered at her.
“Aura?” She stepped closer, gazing at the reflection.
The eyes grew dark and the complexion of the reflection whitened.
“Aura!?”
Adie looked around the room before looking back at the mirror. Now, the sullen reflection had red sparks glowing in its eyes and the mouth opened to scream.
The strength of the scream forced her to step back. She tried to yell back for Aura to stop, but her shrills were too loud. Adie fell to the ground, covering her ears. The glass in each mirror cracked. She huddled in a ball in the center of the room. Bits of glass fell around her. The sound of thousands of mirrors crashing around her overpowered Aura’s screaming.
Suddenly, there was silence. Adie opened her eyes. The glass from the mirrors surrounded her. She stood, surveying the damage, and turned around at the sound of laughter. No one was there. The laughter turned to sobbing, and she felt a presence behind her.
There stood Aura. Her hair was tousled. The whites of her eyes had vanished and were replaced by darkness. Tears fell from her eyes. “It’s the only way. It’s the only way I can stop the curse.”
“What!? Aura, what’s wrong? What are you talking about?”
“The curse! Don’t you understand!?! I must stop it. This is the only way!” Aura said between sobs. “You have to forgive me. This was the only way.”
“Aura, I don’t know what—”
“YOU WILL NEVER KNOW! YOU WILL NEVER KNOW, AND I WILL MAKE SURE OF IT!” Aura shouted, madness consuming her.
Adie stepped back on the broken glass, inching away from Aura. She winced from the pain and grimaced at the trail of blood where her feet once were. She looked, and her sister had gone.
“Aur
a! Aura!”
“Hello, Adie.” Adie turned around and faced a dark-haired tall man. “Who are you?”
“Don’t you recognize your uncle?” His eyes grew sinister. “She will give me what I want!”
“Zakar—” Adie couldn’t finish, as she felt the hot edge of a blade into her abdomen. She glanced as blood stained her white nightgown. Her breathing grew short and rapid as she tried to push through the pain. She choked on the metallic taste of blood that filled her mouth as she tried to scream. She fell forward toward the glass and closed her eyes . . .
* * *
Adie awoke on the floor, choking and gasping for air. She tried to sit up and finally caught her breath, but the tears still escaped. She took off the Rokis and threw it across the room. No! This is too much! She held her legs tight and rocked back and forth. A blank stare marked her face as she hummed the once-comforting lullaby, which now provided no solace.
38
Aura
The sound of heavy knocking awoke Aura. She opened her eyes. Her world slowly came into view, and she remembered where she was. With a swish of her hand, the crimson curtains flew open, revealing a matching sky.
She grimaced as another knock sounded. “I’m up! I’m up!”
The door opened quickly, and Bokah hurried in. “You didn’t come to dinner last night, and I was a little worried, so I wanted to check on you first thing . . .” He looked around the room. “Wow! You spruced this place up fast!”
“It just needed some dusting,” Aura said, sitting up from the bed and standing to face him.
“I’ll say. I killed hundreds of pedris last night. With their twelve legs, they scurry so fast.” Bokah mimicked them scurrying with his hands.
Aura tried to smile, but a wave of dizziness rushed over her. The room started to spin. Eerie red light seeped in through the windows and mixed with the flames that remained in the fireplace. She sat back down.
“Aura.” A voice echoed in her ear. “Aura.”
“What?” she shouted.
Bokah stopped mimicking with hands and looked over at her. “I didn’t say anything.”
Aura glared at Bokah when she heard it again.
“Aura…”
She jolted. “You heard that, right?” The voice sounded familiar but far away.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” he asked, watching Aura walk around the room.
Her eyes darted to each corner, searching for the origin of the voice. “Huh? Yes . . . yes! I’m fine, just tired. I’ll be down in a little while. Let’s meet in the Council Room.”
“I guess I’ll just figure out where that is exactly.”
“Yep,” Aura said, preoccupied, looking around the room and continuing her search for the voice as Bokah closed the door behind him.
“Aura.”
She heard the voice again. It sounded as smooth as her satin sheets.
She walked back toward the bed, passing the mirror on her right, and heard it again.
“Aura!” the voice shouted. The shrillness of the voice made her jump.
Silence followed, and Aura noticed the cracked mirror. She tiptoed toward it, waiting for the voice to return. Once she reached it, she placed her finger on the mirror and the crack receded. Her reflection stared back at her.
Only, it wasn’t her.
How can this be? She studied the reflection. It looked just like her. Ruby curls were pulled into a messy braid. Pale skin and jade eyes peered at her.
But unlike Aura, it smiled.
“Hello, Aura. Feeling tired, aren’t we?” It made a pitiful face at her.
“Who are you?” she asked.
“You, silly. I’m you.” The reflection smirked, and the emerald of its eyes drowned in pools of black.
“But—”
“You didn’t think that you were going to get away with it, did you?”
“With what?” Aura asked quietly, stepping closer toward the mirror.
“You don’t just accept darkness and expect it to stay nestled inside you.”
“You aren’t real,” Aura stated, turning away. She’s not real. It’s not real. You just need some sleep.
“But I am. I’m a part of you. You’ll eventually have to face me. And you will lose.” The reflection’s voice grew deeper as the whites of its eyes vanished and blackness consumed them.
No! Her throat tightened, and her mouth went dry as panic flooded her. She steadied herself against the wall, begging for the spinning to stop. Her stomach flipped, sending bile into her throat as the dizziness took over. The reflection laughed as she begged herself not to vomit.
Aura clenched her teeth as she raised her hand toward the reflection, which was now cackling as dark lines swam through its ivory skin. Aura screamed as sparks shot out from her hand, and the mirror shattered, falling to the ground in pieces.
The laughter and dizziness suddenly faded, and Aura steadied herself.
I will overpower you. “I choose my own Fate.”
Aura opened the steel doors with ease and walked into the Council Room at the tower in Vadim.
Bokah glanced at her as she entered. He stood on the seat of a black chair. The back of the chair rose taller than him, into three fine points. “Nice to have you join us,” Bokah jeered.
“I’m feeling better.” Aura forced a smile. Except now, I’m hearing my reflection talking to me.
Bokah raised his brow as she neared. “I see you’ve matched your attire to our surroundings.”
Aura huffed and playfully kicked at Bokah’s chair. “I’m embracing our new home.” She touched her top made from thin strips of leather stitched together with golden thread. It felt like lightweight armor against her chest. Her pants matched in color but looked like a second skin as they clung to her.
She gazed about the room. A few lanterns were lit, and they flickered shadows onto the red walls surrounding them.
Are the shadows moving? She walked toward them and touched them. Instantly, she moved her hand back as something moved in the walls.
“Yeah, I would be careful,” said one of the Etoyoc.
Bokah chuckled. “Yeah, Ulop’s right.” Bokah looked at the Etoyoc and back at Aura. “I’d be careful. Sometimes the walls move.”
“Is it like the etchings at the Dome?” Aura asked, looking closely as little lines formed underneath the red velvet wall, like worms moving through the dirt.
They seemed just like the etchings, but thicker and faster, making eerie shapes similar to her shadow. She watched as they shifted and came together, forming a design, beating with a rhythm that matched her heart. They swirled and darkened, coming together and forming the shape of a flower.
She took a step back from the wall, her mouth agape. Bokah’s voice brought her back as the lines quickly vanished and returned to misshapen shadows.
“You seem a little familiar with this place, but the rest of us don’t know it all that well. So today, all of us will scout the tower to create a map. I discovered a few trap doors myself last night, unfortunately. But I survived, and that’s what counts.” He jumped off the chair and handed a scroll of paper to Aura.
She looked at the detailed map of half of the east side of the tower. “Good. You all can work on that today.”
“You won’t be joining us?” Bokah asked.
“I will be meeting with Wendelone today.”
Bokah nodded, but the rest watched her quizzically. The elves’ pointy ears raised with their eyebrows, and the Etoyoc whimpered.
“I’ll return by nightfall,” Aura said, walking toward the door.
“You not traveling in that, are you?” Bokah asked, not looking away from the scroll.
She turned around and smiled at Bokah, grabbing the gold belt at her hips. “I have a place for my sword.”
Bokah huffed as Aura walked out, the door closing hard behind her.
As she exited the tower, she looked into the distance, seeing the small shadow of the Wicked Willow. You can do this. She glanced behind h
er to make sure no one had followed her and let the dark clouds surround her. As she took a deep breath, a gust of wind consumed her.
After the red dust had settled and the dark clouds disappeared, the Wicked Willow came into view. Thousands of branches surrounded her. Aura stepped forward, looking at the giant tree trunk in front of her. She hesitated, waiting for Wendelone’s voice to appear on the wind, but nothing came.
Walking toward the tree, she put her hand upon it, and an image flashed before her eyes, of a blue-skinned woman with a look of desperation on her face. The image disappeared as she removed her hand. She wavered but touched the tree again. The image didn’t return, but she felt coldness coming from the tree. A direct contrast to the warmth of the region. She shivered, pulling her hand away.
“Welcome home, Aura,” Wendelone’s voice said, quietly.
“I wanted to let you know I kept my word and have returned. I’ve brought others with me, and I’m sure more will join us soon.
Wendelone let out a light laugh. “I knew you would keep your word.”
“I want to make sure you keep yours. No attacks from the Sights. The Sights stay inside of Vadim—”
“And you keep your powers.” Wendelone interrupted.
Aura shuddered, unable to shake the coldness from touching the tree. She looked at the branches dancing in the wind. Their shade of green provided some sort of comfort against the harshness of the crimson sky. “Yes. I will keep my powers.”
“I see you’ve been using them.”
“What?”
“What you’re wearing.”
“You can tell?”
“The power was once my own. I can tell when it’s been used.” Her voice sounded endearing and crisp. “You want to ask me something, don’t you?”
Aura looked at the tree, searching for a face. “Can I see you?”
“That’s not the question I was expecting.” Wendelone sounded disappointed. “You see me as I am.”
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