by Maggie Platt
Tali Tivka.
It was his colors, and it was his face. Adrenaline poured through Calix’s body.
What was his connection to the mountain? Why was he there in the painting with Jairus and Lena? Calix looked again at the young woman standing between Tali and Lena. He wiped black sweat from his forehead. He must discover her identity.
Jairus was in the palace. It was believed that Lena was alive, somewhere nearby. Tali was wandering somewhere north of the mountain. But that final girl. Who could she be? Where might she be? If only he could find her, he would be infinitely closer to his ultimate goal—ruling side by side with His Majesty King Damien, sovereign over their neighboring kingdoms.
His mind turned to the current assignment. Mark an Adian, bring her to the mountain, and become king over all Adia. It wouldn’t be long. But to achieve this dream, he couldn’t be content with merely earning the Adian crown for himself. He had to save the mountain from these rebels, proving himself useful and worthy of His Majesty’s utmost trust and confidence.
But first, the assignment from His Majesty. Tovi Tivka was spirited and stubborn, but she wasn’t all that different from the women on the mountain. He saw the same softness come over her face as he used his smooth words and smiles. Some of his lines had not gone over well, but it seemed to enhance the challenge. He grinned at the thought of what it would be like to present her to His Majesty, his mark, a pointed crown, clearly emblazoned on her shoulder. His Majesty would be proud. His Majesty would applaud him. His Majesty would want him as an ally for the rest of his life once he proved he could succeed in such a lofty task.
He took a deep breath and began to plan. He must get Tovi to the mountain.
CHAPTER 11
Morning dawned brightly through Tovi’s fluttering curtains, but the sunlight did not take away the terrible dream or her need to run to the ridge. As soon as she was out the door, Silas joined her, keeping pace but not getting in her way. They ran in silence as the beautiful landscape whizzed past them.
In the back of Tovi’s mind, she hoped Calix would come today. It had been nearly two weeks since his first appearance, and he had found ways to surprise her almost every day. But would he approach her if Silas was with her? She was irritated by her friend’s presence and wished he would go away.
When they arrived at the ridge, she made her usual futile search of the panorama. No Tali. Also, no Calix. Instead of sitting down, Tovi turned to Silas. “I want some time by myself.”
“You can talk to me about whatever is on your mind.”
“Don’t patronize me. I want to be alone.”
Silas sighed. “Come find me later if you want to talk. You know where I’ll be.”
As soon as he left, Calix appeared in the clearing. Her heart leapt, but she tried not to show it. Over the last twelve days, she had experienced something completely new and exhilarating. Her cynical nature warred with the simple pleasure of attention. She wanted to stay aloof, but most days spent with him made her turn into something very silly and giddy. It was his eyes, she told herself. Definitely his eyes. Was this what happiness felt like?
He greeted her with a wink. “I have a surprise for you.”
“What kind of surprise?” she asked.
“You’ll have to come with me to see it.” He turned and walked briskly toward the forest, away from Adia. Tovi tried to keep up, her yellow dress and blue hair flying in waves behind her.
“Where are we going?” she called out. Her bare feet pushed into the damp earth of the forest floor, making a strange pattern between Calix’s shoe prints.
“That is the surprise! You will know soon enough.”
They finally stopped in an area of woods that didn’t seem anything but ordinary to Tovi. “We’re almost there, but now you have to trust me.” He walked behind her and put his hands over her eyes. He led her forward, whispering instructions into her ear. His breath on her cheek tingled. She felt herself moving through tall grasses and noticed the sudden warmth of sun on her skin.
“Are you ready for your surprise?” Calix asked, his mouth still close to her ear. She nodded in response, opening her eyes at the same moment that he lifted his hands.
It was a scene of lavish beauty. Yellow lilies grew on a vine that wound around the fattest tree she had ever seen. More of the blossoms hung from the huge sloping boughs. Purple, pink, and orange butterflies swooped between the blooms. The tree was vibrant, shimmering with energy.
“Do you like it?”
“It’s incredible,” Tovi whispered.
They walked the rest of the distance toward the trunk of the tree. Large limbs drooped nearly to the ground, and Calix began to climb.
Perched on a branch, sitting side by side with their feet suspended in the air below, they picked up their conversation where it left off two days earlier. They talked and laughed well into the afternoon. He told her stories about his life on the mountain, and his attentive charm brought down her walls and kept her usual coldness disarmed. She shared how much she missed her brother, desperately wanted to know her parents, and feared losing Avi. He listened to every word, offering just the right comments when she would pause. He seemed particularly interested to learn she was not originally from Adia, and he asked several questions about Tali. The butterflies floated lazily by, sometimes landing on their shoulders or knees for a moment before moving on. It was magical.
“I’ve always known I am lucky to have him,” Tovi said, as they discussed what it was like to have a twin brother. “He has always been so good to me, listening to my constant questions, pushing me to get out of my own head. Now, with him gone, I don’t know how to feel or what to do.”
“That must be terrible,” Calix said with concern, brushing a flyaway strand of hair out of Tovi’s face. “How has it been for Ganya? Is it hard on her, too?”
“It is hard, but not like it is for me. She trusts Adwin. She thinks we have no need to fear, because Adwin will take care of Tali. She misses him, but it is not the same. Besides, she has other things on her mind.”
“Like what?” He cocked his head, intent and interested.
“Avi doesn’t have much time left. He’s very sick, and I don’t think any of us are prepared for life without him. I can’t imagine what it’s like for her. I have loved him my whole life, but that is only twenty years. Avi and Ganya have spent nearly every day together since they were my age. That’s over fifty years. I don’t know how she’ll go on.”
“It sounds like they truly love one another.”
“They do. It’s beautiful, really.”
Calix smiled sweetly. “And it sounds like you really love him, too.”
Tovi bit the inside of her cheek and breathed deeply. “I do. No matter how difficult I was or how much I resisted, he always loved me.” She smiled despite the tears that were welling, and when she continued, her voice cracked. “When I was a little girl, he did everything a good grandfather would do. He showed me how to fish, read books to me, and taught me how to make a kite. I never agreed to spend time with him at first, but he would ask and prod until I had little choice. And he was so sweet that I always gave in eventually. But my favorite memory is one day after a rainstorm. There was a leak in our roof, and Ganya had put a big clay pot underneath it to collect the drips. Tali was off with Silas somewhere, and I was in my room.
“I saw Avi put a ladder against the house, and I was so curious that I stuck my head out the window to get a better look. He offered to let me help, and I said no, even though I really wanted to. He pretended to get mad. Standing halfway up the ladder, he put his hands on his hips and said, ‘Young lady, climb out that window and get your britches over here to help me.’ I was shocked. Climb out the window? To be difficult I just walked through the front door. But maybe that was his goal all along.”
“Sounds like a smart man.”
Tovi nodded. “I loved that day. I helped him patch the roof, and all the while he asked me questions about all that I was learning, my
adventures with Tali and Silas, and whatnot. It was one of those days when I knew deep down that someone really loved me and wanted me to be around.”
Calix put his arm around her shoulders and hugged her to his side. “I hope this is one of those days, too.”
Tovi tried to hide a smile. “I wish we could stay here all day.”
“What’s stopping us?” Calix asked.
She twisted just enough so she could face him, unintentionally bringing their noses a mere inch from each other. Her breath caught in her throat as she explained, “My cousin, Ganya and Avi’s nephew, is getting married.” It had never been so hard to form a sentence, or so uncomfortable to maintain eye contact. She moved her gaze down, not realizing at first that she was now staring at his lips, which curved up into a knowing smile.
She watched as his tempting mouth formed the question, “When will it be your turn, Tovi?”
“My turn?”
“Your turn to be happy. When will it be your turn to find the love that Ganya and Avi found with each other?” he murmured, the small space between them heavy with expectation.
Suddenly feeling awkward in this new romantic territory, she summoned the power to break away, turning violently to look out into the sharp patterns of sunlight and blue skies that danced between the branches.
Calix tore a flower from the tree and threw it out into the open. “It just seems so ridiculous that no one in your village thinks you are beautiful.”
At first, she thought it was a compliment, but her delight vanished behind a storm of rage. “Excuse me?”
“Don’t be stupid,” he said, scooting down so that his back was against the trunk and his legs extended out along the limb. “I was trying to tell you that I like you, that I think you’re beautiful.”
She crossed her arms and looked away. His new position blocked her easiest exit.
“No, really, Tovi. You are beautiful, funny, smart. You deserve to be loved. It’s not fair that you are lonely. I think this Adwin of yours is holding out on you.”
Her head whipped back toward him. “What is that supposed to mean?”
“If he exists the way you think he might, he could make someone for you. He could send you a partner, someone to love you. He would protect you and provide for you. Instead, Adwin stole your parents, then your brother, and left you to fend for yourself.”
“You’re not telling me anything new. Get out of my way.”
His words circled in her mind throughout her cousin’s wedding. She hardly noticed the beautiful decorations or the rows of perfectly aligned chairs. She didn’t hear the angelic music. She didn’t take in the smiles and general excitement. Instead, she saw visions of yellow lilies and hypnotizing lips that made her angry and lonely at the same time.
When it was over, the bride and groom made their way down the center aisle, waving to the cheering crowd. The sun had completely disappeared, and lanterns full of lightning bugs cast a cheerful, twinkling glow under the trees as everyone stacked chairs and prepared for an evening of celebration. The bride’s family filled the buffet tables while several friends tuned their fiddles.
During the first song, Tovi sat and watched the couples swing around the dance floor. As a young girl, this had always been her favorite part. Avi would scoop her up and make a ridiculous scene, whirling and jumping, running into the rest of the couples and pretending it was an accident. Her heart ached with her fear. He wasn’t strong enough to come down from the tree to attend the wedding. How much longer did he have left?
The music slowed, and her musings were interrupted by a familiar voice.
“Want to dance?”
Silas took Tovi by the hand and led her into the crowd, placing one palm at the small of her back. Every nerve came to life under its warmth. His other hand lifted hers, her delicate fingers resting perfectly inside his strong ones.
Silas was a good leader. She felt her body move at all the right times, responding to the barely perceptible guidance from the pressure of his hold. Somehow, under the direction of Silas’ movements, it seemed natural to turn this way and that, moving her feet in time with the music.
He looked different tonight. Gone were the paint splattered tunics and wrinkled linen pants. He was dressed instead in dark brown trousers with a soft baby blue tunic that matched his eyes. But there was something else—something about the urgency in his expression—that made him seem changed.
They continued to sway slowly around the dance floor. “How are you, Tovi?” he asked softly.
This was so unlike the Silas she knew. Had he seen her with Calix again today? Was he angry that she asked him to leave the ridge? Was he jealous that someone else had spent time with her there, in their special place?
She struggled to find words and awkwardly shifted her eyes to the collar of his shirt, studying it as she responded, “I’ve been better. There’s a lot on my mind.”
“Anything you want to talk about?”
Her heart began to race.
“You know you can tell me anything, don’t you?” he prodded.
Just as she opened her mouth to respond, the music ended. Silas continued to hold her, giving her the chance to answer his questions. But when she took her hand from his shoulder and looked away, he relinquished his hold. He kissed her other hand and went to mingle with the crowd. Tovi watched him sadly, feeling like she had just barely missed out on something important.
Interrupting her thoughts, she heard someone whisper her name. She turned, looking for whomever was beckoning. All she could see was the tall, dense hedge that formed the natural boundary of the wedding festivities. “Tovi!” she heard again, this time slightly louder than before. She walked toward the bushes, confident that the sound was coming from them.
“Hello? Who’s there?” she asked.
“Come around here and see for yourself.” Her heart beat out of her chest as she recognized Calix’s voice. She ran along the line of the hedge until she came to an opening. She was far enough away from the dancing and celebrating that no one seemed to be watching, and she slipped behind the foliage.
They stood several feet apart, smiling at one another for several breathless moments. Their morning spent together ran through Tovi’s mind, and she felt transported back to that beautiful tree bathed in sunlight and the way she felt when she was so close to him. Yes, they had fought. Yes, he infuriated her. But there was something about him that woke a passion inside her. Something about him that was dangerous and wonderful and exciting.
He walked forward and took her in his arms. The music was floating all the way to where they stood. Taking hold of both her wrists, he lifted them so she could clasp her hands behind his neck. He held her close, his feet leading them in slow circles. She had never danced like this before.
“I’m sorry for the way our morning ended,” he said.
Tovi stared into his black eyes but didn’t say anything. As the last bars of the song sang out into the night, Calix brushed his lips across her cheek, letting them linger there. She had no idea what to do next, but she willed herself not to look away. Before she knew what was happening, Calix stopped dancing, pulled her into a crushing embrace, and leaned down to press his lips against hers.
It wasn’t nearly as nice as she thought it would be. She had a hard time breathing as he kissed her, and she wondered if she was doing something wrong.
After a while he eased up, smiling down at Tovi as if they had both just experienced something amazing and wondrous. Tovi grinned back, pleased that Calix had wanted to kiss her, and even more pleased that he was happy. She knew that something was different between them now, and that knowledge gave her more tingles in the pit of her stomach than the kisses had.
Calix held Tovi’s hand as they walked to the base of her tree, leaving the wedding festivities behind. He squeezed her fingers, kissed her more gently, and said, “Goodnight. There’s a surprise on your window ledge.” He winked and backed away with a smile on his face. “See you tomorrow.”
Tovi watched him leave and climbed up to the top of the willow. Saying a quick goodnight to Avi, she entered her room and looked for her surprise. It was a glass jar with three butterflies—purple, orange, and pink—resting inside. She knew at once that they had come from their tree.
Sitting on the edge of her bed, she held the cool glass in her hands, noticing how the winged creatures sat on the bottom. Their prison was too small to allow much flying. She crawled over to her window. Setting the jar on the sill, she carefully opened the lid and tilted it to the side, allowing the butterflies to escape into freedom.
They floated up and out on graceful wings, one landing on the top of her hand before taking off into the wide-open night so full of possibilities. She imagined their journey back to their tree and wondered what it looked like in the starlight. She couldn’t help smiling.
CHAPTER 12
Just far enough into the darkness to where Tovi could not see, a quick, silent fist slammed the delicate pink butterfly into the side of a tree, crushing it with a fury that was reflected in his deep brown eyes with a little purple star.
CHAPTER 13
“Tovi!” Silas called through the morning mist, his tone strong and serious. She didn’t stop. She had to run. She had to see if Tali was out there. She had woken from the dream again and had just reached the ridge.
“Tovi,” Silas repeated, getting closer. “You need to come with me. It’s Avi.”
Numbness fanned out through her body, starting with her heart. Somehow, she failed to instruct her lungs to keep breathing.
“He’s still holding on, but just barely.”
She couldn’t speak, but she nodded just enough to acknowledge she had heard him. They rushed back toward the village while she stared ahead through water-filled eyes, hardly taking in anything around her.
When they arrived at the porch outside of her willow tree, Silas reached for Tovi, putting his hands on both of her shoulders. “You are going to see and hear things that you won’t understand. I want you to think about them after this is over. Promise me you will pay attention.”