by Maggie Platt
After the numbness that had taken over Tovi on their hurried journey home, the rush of white-hot anger hit her with force. She glared at her old friend, loathing his presence. First her parents. Then her brother. Now Avi would be stolen from her. How dare he demand anything of her?
Shaking his head, Silas said, “Come on. It’s time to go in.”
“Why are you going in?” she asked, but he was already through the door.
When they entered, there was a general sigh of relief from the Tivka extended family. “I’m so glad you’re back,” Ganya said to him. “I really don’t think he will be with us much longer.”
Avi lay in his bed, eyes closed and struggling for air. Ganya sat close by his side, stroking his thin hair and holding his limp hand. There were frail smiles and an unexpected peace on both of their faces.
The rest of the Tivka family crowded the room, packed into every nook they could find. Some of the smaller cousins sat atop the roughly-hewn dressers. Everyone had sad eyes, but they weren’t crying. They looked crushed, but no one was wailing.
“Don’t worry,” Silas said. “He’s not going anywhere without me.”
Tovi saw the hint of a grin turning the corner of Avi’s mouth. Silas smiled, too. What on earth was happening? Where was he going with Silas? Why was Silas there with the family in the first place? Tovi wanted to scream, but she was too confused to know what words to yell.
Silas moved to the head of the bed, placing himself close behind Ganya. He wrapped one arm around her and used his free hand to grasp Avi’s shoulder. “Avi, can you hear me?” he asked.
The old man’s paper-thin eyelids fluttered open, and he nodded. Silas looked up and addressed the entire group, but his eyes locked on Tovi. “Now listen to me, all of you,” he said kindly. Tovi couldn’t look away, and Silas’ calm presence strangely soothed her, even as her anger and confusion mounted. He continued, “Don’t be afraid. I know this is really hard. Keep remembering that everything you have learned is true. There is no reason to fear this next phase of Avi’s life.”
The emotion in the room thickened. Tovi wanted to close her eyes so she wouldn’t have to see what was about to happen, but something in her needed to watch the end.
After an interval that felt like ages but was mere seconds, Silas said, “Avi, it’s time.”
For a brief moment Tovi caught a glimpse of a much younger and stronger man. Then Avi faded—not just in consciousness, but in actual substance. He shimmered and became nothing but translucent colors before disappearing completely.
Ganya’s hand, still cupped as if she was holding Avi’s, fell to the bed, and silent streams trickled down her cheeks. Silas wrapped his arms around her, and she turned into his embrace.
Ganya and Avi’s siblings joined them and wrapped a protective layer around her. Then came the nieces and nephews, adding another circle of arms and love. They all wept together, including Silas.
Overwhelmed, Tovi began to back slowly out of the room. It seemed as though the walls were closing in, and she felt dangerously close to being crushed by the weight and enormity of death. Just as she picked up her pace, she locked eyes with Silas.
“Tovi!” he called over the sounds of the mourning family. “Tovi!” Every face lifted, some understanding, some questioning.
Her parents. Her brother. Avi. Her parents. Her brother. Avi. Round and round their faces—even those of her parents which she invented in her daydreams—danced through her mind, tormenting her with reminders of her pain. She felt the oppressive need to run, to get away. Then, Silas’ urgent blue eyes came to the forefront of her mind, and she remembered what he had said.
Next time, don’t do it alone. Next time, run toward me.
“No,” she spat aloud, as if the voice had been more than a memory. “No! I won’t run toward you, Silas. I don’t even know why you are here!” She sprinted from the room, ignoring the shocked looks coming from the Tivkas. She didn’t stop until she had wound her way down the stairs and vines and bridges, finally reaching the grass.
She wouldn’t have stopped, but she had no choice when she slammed into Silas’ chest and was instantly bound by his arms. She struggled against his strength for a moment, then sagged into him, her whole body sobbing and grief-stricken.
“Tovi, talk to me,” Silas said quietly.
She felt tired and so breakable. “Why were you in that room?” she asked, begging for understanding.
“Think, Tovi. You know, deep down.”
“It doesn’t make sense. None of it fits. Why did everyone else think it was right for you to be there? You’re just his neighbor.” She continued to sob, completely falling apart.
“Come on, Tovi,” he coaxed tenderly, loosening his grip. “You’re so close.”
She wrenched herself from his embrace, leaning back and glaring into his face. Her anger overtook her sadness once more, and she snarled, “For once, just stay out of my life and leave me alone.”
She walked away, waves of intense nausea and heartbroken sobs coming and going as memories surfaced of her beloved Avi.
When she reached the ridge for the second time that morning, she walked straight to the edge and let her toes curl over. A small piece of rock crumbled away and fell to the boulders far below. “I hate you, Adwin!” she screamed into the wild, as the wind whipped her navy-blue hair across her face. “First my parents! Then Tali! Now Avi! Where are you? You have to show yourself. You owe me an explanation! I hate you! I hate you! I hate—”
“There you are!” Calix called, coming out of the forest. “I was beginning to think you weren’t—” He stopped short. “What’s wrong?” He ran toward her, grabbing hold as she nearly lost footing and swayed over the edge. He pulled her in tight against his body.
“Avi,” she said, her voice hitching on the second syllable, her throat dry from yelling.
“What happened?”
“He’s gone.” Her sobbing continued, deep and broken. They stood this way for a long time, his hands skillfully rubbing the tension from her shoulders as her fingers clutched at the back of his shirt.
“I hate him,” she declared.
“Who?”
“Adwin. I hate him! He took me from my family. He stole my brother. He’s taken Avi from me. Who’s next? Ganya?” Her voice broke again. “What’s the point of life, if all there is, is one painful goodbye after another? I can’t take any more of this.”
Calix took hold of Tovi’s arms and moved her away from his body, just far enough so she could see his face. There was a strange look in his eyes, and his neck veins pulsed, dark and foreboding. “Come with me,” he said.
“What? Where?”
“Back to the mountain. We can leave all this behind and start over. No one should have to go through all that you have endured. Don’t you see this place is wicked? Come with me. I can take care of you. I can protect you and won’t ever let anyone hurt you. Come with me, Tovi.”
She hesitated. “I—I don’t know. I guess I need to think about it.”
Disappointment clouded Calix’s usually handsome features. He untangled himself and walked a few feet away, his back to her as he sulked.
“Calix, I’m sorry,” she called after him. “Just give me a day or two to think. I just can’t . . . I just . . . There’s just been too much today.” She angrily swiped at the streams still flowing down her cheeks.
Calix turned to her, a cold light flaring in his black eyes as he spat something dark on the ground. After a few tense moments, he trudged into the woods.
Tovi sank to the ground and rested her forehead on her knees as she balanced precariously on the edge of the ridge. Her weeping returned, convulsing her whole body in overwhelming despair.
Just a few minutes later she heard footsteps approaching through the grass, and she lifted her head hoping that Calix was coming back. Instead, a stranger with orange hair stood before her, and she was terrified and mesmerized by his bright yellow eyes.
CHAPTER 14
&
nbsp; A set of soft black eyes belonging to a kind, dimpled face watched through the leaves and vines as the family mourned. It was an accident—she hadn’t intended to intrude on such an intimate, sacred rite. Now she couldn’t look away, and she struggled to interpret all that she had seen.
Strands of deepest black hair fell into her eyes as she shifted on the branch. She swept it away without thinking and continued to gaze at these strange, wonderful people.
Recently, she had often taken to finding a comfortable branch, high in the trees, where she could watch from a distance. She hadn’t yet built up the courage to speak to any of them. She knew her brother had worked on the blue-haired girl, Tovi, and she fully expected him to win the contest. He would do anything for His Majesty, and BiBi loved him so much that she had no desire to work against him and seek her own victory.
BiBi was the newest and least experienced Master on the Council, and she held a dark secret. From the first moment she had spied the Adian people, the treehouses, and the peaceful river, she had been captivated. She returned to these trees over and over again, watching them work and play and fish and laugh.
She couldn’t understand the way her heart seemed to explode and contract at the same time when she spied on this totally foreign life. She was curious to be sure, but hungry was probably a better word for it.
That morning she watched as Silas left the treehouse in a rush, followed by a parade of Adians entering the house. Eventually Silas returned with Tovi. BiBi had quietly crawled closer to the bedroom window. She could see a little bit, and she could hear everything. When the sweet old man disappeared, BiBi had to cover her mouth so that she wouldn’t gasp aloud and draw attention to herself.
When Tovi burst through the door, BiBi froze in panic. She was so close to the house and easily visible. But, Tovi didn’t seem to notice. Silas came out next, and the strangest thing happened.
He made the briefest eye contact with BiBi, and then his head swiveled to his right. His voice rang out, but somehow not from him. His voice, as clear as day, came from below. BiBi looked down, and she could see Silas trying to speak sense into Tovi. “Think, Tovi. You know deep down,” she heard him say.
She shook her head violently. Was she dreaming? Silas stood just a few yards from her, and at the same time he was on the ground down below. She heard his voice, but the Silas before her hadn’t opened his mouth. Yet.
Then, the Silas in front of her spoke into the woods. He was stern and demanding. “Come face me, Megara. Now.”
The foliage shuffled and another weapon emerged. Just like BiBi, Megara had pitch black hair and eyes. But that is where the similarities ended. Megara was so skinny that she looked frail and sickly. The bones of her face protruded at severe angles, and her broad, evil smile looked like a horrible slash across her face.
Silas squared his shoulders toward her, and Megara’s smile faltered just a fraction as her eyes narrowed. “What do you want with me?”
“You are not permitted any closer to this home today.”
She cackled. “Not permitted? Like you could stop me. This family is ripe and ready for the lessons I could teach them. Death and misery lend themselves quite well to the finer points of Wisdom, don’t you think?”
“Go back to the mountain. You are not to come any closer,” he said again, his voice staying even.
She laughed again as she took a stride toward the tree house, but she sprang back and howled in pain just a moment later. Her spiteful glee vanished, and her normally dead-white skin reddened just a bit. She pushed her hand forward, and once again she cried out, pulling her hand back in close and cradling it as if it hurt very badly.
She pursed her lips, shot an angry glance toward Silas, and disappeared into the trees.
BiBi’s mouth hung slightly open as she watched the exchange. Very little of it made sense to her. But one thing was clear: there was much more to Silas than she realized.
“Sir, do you want me to leave, too?” she asked shyly. Down below, Tovi had run away toward the ridge, and the other Silas was speaking to several Tivka family members and villagers.
The Silas in the trees approached her, putting his hands in his pockets and smiling kindly. “No, BiBi. You can stay. Stay as long as you like.” His attention felt like the purest of gold. His voice brought her peace that she didn’t understand. “There will come a day in the not-too-distant future when you will not feel safe on the mountain. When that time comes, I want you to remember today and everything you saw here. And I want you to come back. For now, stay and watch, and store these things deep in your memory.” And suddenly he was gone.
CHAPTER 15
“Oh my, it looks like something has upset you. I hope you’re all right,” Leeto gushed. He pulled a handkerchief with a few faded black stains out of his pocket and handed it to Tovi, who wiped the moisture from below her eyes.
“You must be Tovi. I’m Leeto,” he said, putting out his heartless hand.
“How do you know my name?”
“How do I know your name?” he spluttered. “Calix is my dearest friend. He’s practically my brother. He’s told me everything about you. Are you saying that he’s never mentioned me before?”
“No, I’m sorry.”
“Hmmm. Well, I was supposed to meet both of you here today. I’ve been dying to see this perfect woman he keeps telling me about. And I must say, you are even more beautiful than he described.”
She didn’t say anything. Rather, she turned back toward the mountains, looking out over the ridge. She didn’t feel it was necessary to be hospitable toward a stranger after all that had happened that day.
“Anyway, since he’s not here,” Leeto continued, his voice implying he wouldn’t give up on conversation so easily. “I’ll ask the question that’s been on my mind the last few days. Do you really love him?”
Her face whipped back toward him. “Of course, I do! What are you implying?”
Leeto looked surprised. “That’s wonderful. He was worried that you didn’t—that it was more of a curiosity thing, like you were using him just to learn about the mountain. You know, to find out if your brother is there, or maybe even your parents.”
Her heart thudded in her ears. “How do you know about my family?”
Leeto ignored her question. “I know Calix, and I know that he has many insecurities,” he said. “He was afraid you were using him to get information on your brother. So, what happened to make you so upset?”
“None of your business.”
“He asked you to come to the mountain, didn’t he?”
“How did you know?”
“It just makes sense.”
“How so?”
“He adores you, and you claim to care for him. So the natural thing would be to move to our city. Then the two of you could be together, and you could search for your family. What did you say to him?”
“Again, that’s none of your business.”
Leeto shook his head slowly and whistled. “Oh, Tovi. This is a mess. I can see both sides. He loves you and wants you to move to the mountain, naturally. You have been through so much since your brother left, and you can’t wrap your head around more change. What to do? What to do?” He paused. “You know, Tovi, it’s not such a bad idea for you to come to the mountain, even if it’s not really about Calix. You will never be happy until you know what happened to your family. This is an excellent opportunity for you. But at the same time, you need to be careful. You’ll hurt Calix if he thinks that is your only reason for coming to the mountain, and his feelings are already tender.”
Tovi eyed Leeto, trying to discern his trustworthiness. “How would I make this right? I mean, if I were to decide to go with him.”
“Well,” he said thoughtfully, “you should go back to your village and spend one last night there. Don’t make any rash decisions. It would be wise for you to wait for the morning, when you have had plenty of time to think it through. But, in case you decide to leave, you should make all your prepar
ations tonight. Write a nice note to your friends. Tell them that you need a few days to think about all that has happened. Tell them you’ve gone into the woods to search for Adwin.”
“That’s a lie.”
“You say that like it’s a bad thing. Lying is not so terrible, when used wisely. Wouldn’t it hurt them if they knew you were leaving?”
That sounded reasonable, but she had an unsettled feeling in the pit of her stomach.
Leeto continued, “Then, once you are well rested, you can wake up and decide if this is really a move you want to make. If you do, come back to this spot. I’ll make sure Calix comes back tomorrow, and you can tell him you are ready to leave with him. Tell him how much you love him and that you can’t wait to spend forever with him. Whatever you do, do not tell him you spoke to me.”
“Why not?”
“It’s best if he believes you made this decision on your own. You don’t want him to think that you are going only because I said you could look for your family. He needs to think you really are going for his sake. You don’t want to hurt him, right?”
After Leeto left, Tovi sat in silence staring across the empty expanse, her mind and heart so confused. She alternated between anxiety over her decision, unsettled discomfort regarding her new orange-haired acquaintance, and broken-hearted sorrow at the memory of Avi. She replayed all the old scenes, tormenting herself with reminders that she would never see him again. Soon enough she wasn’t just mourning Avi. She was grieving her brother and parents all over again too. She didn’t move all day, allowing the sun to beat down on her as her tears came and went in rhythm with her thoughts.
As the day faded and purple seeped into the sky, Silas came down the path and sat beside her. He didn’t say a word for a long time and rested with his hands in his pockets, looking out into the distance, just like her. Birds called to one another from the treetops, and a bee buzzed nearby. The slight wind washed over them every now and then, causing his hair and her hem to flutter. Still, they were quiet.