by Diana Nixon
He wanted Eileen to make the tribe believe it would be better for the boy to stay with us. He thought that letting one of their people stay in the university would automatically protect it from their hatred. Or at least make Waroi clan believe that Dever was not the danger they needed to protect themselves from.
My father said Waroi were different from other hermits. There was one thing that made him believe they would never attack the university. Only I was not allowed to tell anyone what that ‘one thing’ really was… Not yet, anyway.
To make the whole plan work, Eileen needed to meet with the Waroi people, without anyone’s help or protection, which, in my opinion, was the worst part of the plan. They couldn’t find out about us protecting Eileen; it would make them think we didn’t trust them, as if we saw them as our enemies. And no matter how close it was to the truth, we needed to do our best to make them believe that we wanted nothing but to restore peace in the world we all belonged to. And considering a part of them belonged to the Ventura clan, and they could foresee our decisions, it was decided to let Eileen go to the forest with no protection at all. It was like making her a bait for everyone who wanted her dead, with no choice but to pray and wait for her return…
Chapter 5
Evan
“Seriously, Christian, tonight is the worst night ever to ruin my sleep.” I sat in one of my friend’s bedroom chairs, and yawned, hoping I wouldn’t pass out before I knew more about whatever it was that made him call me that late at night. I was so freaking tired, exhausted to the max. My brain refused to work properly. If anyone wanted to kill me, they should have used this very moment to do it, and I would hardly feel any danger coming or try to save my ass.
“Sorry,” Christian said, taking a seat facing me. “We need to talk.”
“Judging by the colors of your aura you didn’t call me to wish me a good night. What happened?”
“I went to talk to my father. He told me about the plan he and Frederick had come up with to save Dever and prevent us from any further attacks from the hermits.”
“Okay, so what’s the plan?”
“Well, first of all, Eileen needs to meet with the Waroi tribe. And she needs to do it on her own…”
“No freaking way!” I said firmly. My desire to fall asleep right then and there was gone in no time flat. “Do you seriously believe they will let her get back here? After they realize what her appearance may mean to them and their crazy ideas about killing us?”
“Why don’t you let me tell you the whole plan first?”
I leaned against the back of the chair, with my arms crossed. “Fine. I’m all ears.”
“My father said that the tribe consists of Meridins and Venturas, but their gifts work differently from ours. Meridins of Waroi see prophetic dreams and Venturas interpret them as the visions of the future that has been decided by someone.”
“Wait a second, does that mean they can’t see into the future in the daylight?”
“Correct. And this is exactly what I needed to discuss with you.”
I looked at my watch, saying, “It’s ten minutes past midnight. Whatever we decide tonight, they will see it.”
“Eileen will go to the forest tomorrow morning. They will dream about it and they will be ready to meet her. Otherwise, she might not be able to find them. They protect their territory with the spells that hide them from everyone, except the members of the tribe. But if they see a dream showing Eileen going to the forest to find them, they will reveal themselves.”
“Because they want to see her, and we both know why.”
“Yeah...”
“What about Eileen’s safety? How shall we protect her?”
“Her powers will be her only protection.”
“This is insane, Christian.”
“Trust me, she’ll be fine.”
Maybe I was imagining things, but it looked like there was something my friend didn’t want to tell me. He would never let Eileen out of Dever, if he were not sure she would be fine on her own. I didn’t ask any more questions. As if deep down inside I knew that Christian was right and Eileen was out of danger.
“Okay,” finally I said. “Is there anything you want me to do before she leaves campus?”
“Tell Amanda to keep an eye on her. You know what I mean.”
Amanda could read Eileen’s mind, as well as mine, and it looked like it was our only way to protect Eileen. No one apart from our parents and a couple of friends knew about Amanda’s gift. She preferred things to stay that way.
“At least we will know if there’s anything threatening Eileen,” I said.
“Is she going to travel into your dreams tonight?” Christian asked.
“Not tonight. I’m too tired for anything but sleep.” I rose to my feet and headed for the door.
“Evan?”
“Yes?” I stopped and turned around to look at Christian.
“How are you feeling?” He asked, watching me closely.
I shrugged. “Fine. Why?”
“Just curious.”
“Oh, really?” I frowned, trying to understand the reason for his sudden worry about me. “Is there anything else I should know about?”
He hesitated with the response.
“Come on, man! You know how much I love crappy news. So whatever it is, I can handle it.”
He stood up and took a few steps closer to where I was standing. “Have you heard anything about this place? The lake I mean.”
“What exactly do you mean?”
“Any stories, legends?”
“No. Why?”
“Did you go to the shore?”
“Have no desire to do that. What are all these questions about, Christian?”
“Let me know if you feel anything unusual, okay?”
“Like what?”
“Like anything unusual.”
I rolled my eyes. “You are terrible at explaining things. You know that, right?”
He smirked. “Sorry. I didn’t mean anything in particular. Like I said, I was just curious. New place, new atmosphere, you know?”
“And you are even more terrible at lying. But I’m too tired to give a shit. So, good night, sweet dreams, and please don’t call me at least until eight in the morning. Or better nine. I really need to rest.”
“Night, Evan.”
I went back to my room, hoping I would be able to get enough sleep to feel myself at least a little more alive in the morning. I seriously needed to do something about the whole ‘sleepless trouble’, or I was going to turn my toes even before the damn hermits would come to finish me off. And something was telling me they were dying to do just that.
Since the day I saw them at Tara’s wedding, I felt like I was being spied on. I always turned around to make sure that no one was following me, as if a hermit would suddenly appear from nowhere to stab me in the back. No doubt, they would be happy to know that the Master of Lords, the greatest evil in the world, has finally fallen. I knew it looked like I was turning into a psychopath, obsessed with the idea of being followed. But I just couldn’t shake off the damn feeling. Not even staying in Dever could make me feel secure. As a matter of fact, I was sure I was in more danger here than anywhere else. But I couldn’t leave and pretend I didn’t care about anyone but myself. My brother and our friends needed me here.
I knew I would feel Tara’s presence tonight. After what Eileen had told me about her state, I had no doubt I would dream about her again. Only this time, I didn’t want anyone to see my dreams with me. I needed to make sure there was nothing I could do to help Tara, because until I thought there was a way to help her, I wouldn’t be able to let the thought of saving her go.
I fell asleep in no time flat. It was one of those rare nights that felt unbelievably peaceful, despite all the mess happening in my reality. At least until the moment I realized that something was wrong... And it was not Tara, or Marion breaking into my dreams. It was someone else, the someone I would never expect to see or feel aga
in…
“Maribel?” I muttered, recognizing my unexpected dream guest.
“Master.” Will’s mother bowed her head, greeting me. Her sandy hair danced in the wind.
I looked around carefully, trying to recognize the surroundings. We were standing on the beautiful beach, with the sound of the ocean splashing behind me. The weather was warm and sunny, making Maribel’s emerald eyes look even brighter.
“I almost forgot about your existence,” I said, not quite sure whether I should be glad or worried about seeing the woman in my dream. I was not afraid of looking into her eyes. She couldn’t hurt me, or at least I hoped not. But there was something about her look that hypnotized me. It wouldn’t let me look away; as if she were holding my gaze with the spells I couldn’t feel or break.
She smiled slightly. “You remember me, don’t you?”
“Well, you haven’t changed much since the last time we met.” It felt like it was forever ago, but Maribel still looked young. Not as young as Eileen or Amanda, but young enough to doubt the fact that she was Will’s mother. She looked more like his elder sister. I didn’t remember meeting her until the day Eileen traveled into my memories and saw one particular memory that I somehow forgot.
“Your seventh birthday was special,” she said, still smiling. “I’m glad I got a chance to be there with you.”
“Your visit was not long.”
“I couldn’t stay longer.”
“Because of my father?”
“He knew who I was. Though he didn’t have any power over me. Unlike you, his gifted son.” For a second, she looked away, and I felt like I could finally breathe again, as if she had been holding my breath, as well as my look, making her every word go right through me.
“Can I ask you for a small favor?” I said. “Never call me master again. Evan will be just fine.”
She bowed again. “As you wish.”
“Why are you here? In my head, I mean?”
“Why don’t we take a walk?” She asked in response. She started to walk away, and I didn’t have a choice but to follow her.
“Where do you live?” I asked. I knew Will’s greatest wish was to see her again. Even though he didn’t remember her at all.
“I thought you wanted to know about the reason for my breaking into your dream,” she said with unhidden irony in her voice. Her words didn’t sound like a scoff though, more like she knew I had millions of questions to ask and simply couldn’t wait to ask them all.
“Right. So what are you doing in my head?”
“Your mother asked me to talk to you?”
“Why wouldn’t she do that herself?”
“Because she knows about what you and Eileen did. And she doesn’t want anything bad to happen to either one of you.”
“Is she hiding Marion and Tara?”
“Not exactly. She’s not with them, but she knows where they are. And yes, it was her idea to bring Tara to your grandparents’ house.”
“Why? What does she know about Tara’s current state?”
“All I’m allowed to tell you is that you shouldn’t try helping Tara. You won’t be able to save her. No one will.”
“I don’t understand… Do you know what happened to her? Why is she suffering so much?”
Maribel stopped and turned to look at me. “The girl is trying to help you. She knows she will die when her sufferings are over. We can’t change that, unfortunately. But before she lets the darkness swallow her, she wants to know more about it.”
“I still don’t get it. What exactly is she trying to find out?”
“I have no right to tell you that, Evan. All you need to know is that it was Tara’s idea to stay frozen for some time. She asked Marion to take her away from the church where she had been attacked and hide her somewhere no one would be able to find her.”
“Did she have a vision about the outcome of that attack?”
“Yes, she did. Right before she realized she was about to die.”
“Oh, no…” It felt like I was locked in a room with no doors or windows to escape. The room consumed me, as if it consisted of pure pain and helplessness.
I swallowed hard, still refusing to believe that Tara was going to die, for real, and that no one could help her. Why the hell couldn’t anyone help her? The day of her so-called funeral, I was as lost as ever. I didn’t understand what was going on. I refused to believe the fact that Tara was dead. As well as I doubted I would ever be able to accept it.
“So… What shall we do now?” I asked Maribel.
“You should stay where you are now and do what Frederick and Patrick want you to do. Trust me, it is more important now.”
“More important that the life of the girl I used to love so much?”
Maribel smiled sympathetically. “I know it is not easy, but you should be ready to let her go. This time forever. Don’t have any illusions about saving her. Tara has made this sacrifice because of the love she used to feel for you. Respect it, and please, don’t complicate anything. It won’t do her any good. You will only make her suffer more.”
“Can I at least see her one last time?”
“I will talk to Elizabeth about that.” She touched my hand with her palm, saying, “Trust me, Evan, leaving Tara alone is the best you can do for her at the moment. She didn’t want anyone to know about what happened to her. And if it was not for Marion’s need to get the book that she once gave to Eileen, Elizabeth would never risk creating that illusion in your mind.”
“I guess now, that they know we have found Tara, they won’t let anyone see her again, in the illusion or not.”
“Marion is taking care of her. She’s doing her best to lessen her pain. Seeing her now, making whatever she feels intensify will only bring her one more step closer to death. Didn’t Eileen tell you about what happened when she was in the room where Tara is now?”
“Her pain almost broke the wall surrounding her.”
“This is exactly what I’m trying to tell you. Even one small change in the scenery, whether real or imaginary, makes her suffering worse.”
“Okay, I understand.” I took a deep breath, before asking, “How much time does she have? How long is this living hell of hers going to last?”
“No one except Tara knows the answer to that question. I guess it will be over when she is ready to let her life go.”
“What did you mean saying she’s trying to help me?”
“You will find out everything when the right time comes. Now, go back to Dever and do your best to protect the university and those you love and care about.”
“What about you?”
“I will stay here. In my reality.”
I didn’t know much about Mistresses or how their gift worked. Apart from Maribel, I had never met any of them. But something was telling me that her gift was different from mine.
“How does your power of mastermind work?” I asked, curious.
“I thought you knew… If affects only men, the men that I am not related by blood with.”
“So it’s like a love potion, or something?”
She nodded, smirking. “Or something.”
There was one more thing I wanted to ask Maribel about. “I know you’ve been watching me since the day I was born. Why? Why did you present me the grimoire that could kill me and the other Lords?”
“Because I knew there would be a day you would try to destroy the Lords. And I couldn’t let you kill my son. So I gifted you the grimoire, sharing my love for my son with you. This is how he survived after you read the spell that killed the other Lords.”
I laughed sarcastically. “Now, that explains a lot. Including our mutual ‘love’ with William.” He and I could never stay in the same room without demonstrating our attitude to each other.
Maribel giggled. “Will and you have a lot in common.”
“No, shit? Oops, pardon my French. I didn’t mean to sound rude.”
“Only those you love get a chance to know the real you. This
is what my son and you have in common.”
“You always loved him, didn’t you?”
“How could I not? He’s my son, my blood, my life. I have never stopped watching him, protecting him the best I could.”
I thought about her words for a moment. “You’ve been watching him in his dreams, haven’t you?” Everyone knows that Lords are most vulnerable in their dreams. They can’t feel danger coming.
“Yes, starting the day I had to leave to protect him.”
“But if your gift can’t affect him, it means you can’t hurt him. Then why don’t you let him see you?”
“Because the nature of our gifts is equal. If we look into each other’s eyes, it will kill us.”
“Then why am I still alive? The nature of our gifts is equal too.”
“But we are not related by blood.”
“Right.”
She looked at her watch and said, “It’s time for you to get back to reality.”
“Wait! How can I find you again?”
“I will find you if I have news about Tara.”
“What about Will? Can I tell him about this conversation?”
“As you wish.”
“Why don’t you call him? I’m sure the sound of your voice won’t kill him.”
She didn’t respond to that. She wouldn’t let me see the colors of her aura, so I couldn’t tell what she was feeling at the moment. But I swear I could see sadness in her eyes.
“You are scared…” I guessed. “You think he will not be able to forgive you for leaving him years ago. Am I right?”
“It’s really hard to hide anything from you, young man.”
“Will doesn’t hate you, Maribel. Trust me; I know what I’m talking about. He’s dying to see you, or at least to get a chance to talk to you. Think about it.”
“I will. Have a good day, Evan.”
And then, my dream vanished, as if it never existed at all. I sat up in my bed and looked at the clock on the wall. It showed half past five in the morning. Freaking great…