The Clockwork Heart

by T Ariyanna

  “That's all well and good, but what does that have to do with testing me?” Cy said, impatient with the backstory. Jemmina was perched in front of another door. It was obvious she was blocking him from going any further.

  “It was difficult to read the boy, very difficult. At first, I thought it was some sort of protection that had been put on him, but it was different than any protection I had seen before. It was a big, confusing mess inside of him, and when I focused hard enough, I could have sworn I heard two voices. When Theresa came to me a few nights ago and told me to expect a group of hers led by someone close to her, though it would not be her son, that's when I knew. You were with him, after all.”

  Not her son. So now I know how Theresa sees me, even if I wasn't sure before, Cy thought bitterly, turning away from Jemmina. She had moved on to Adoette and Noma, who needed no explanation and held their hands out to Jemmina.

  As she finished explaining, Jayr burst out from behind a door. “Why did you let him in after I deliberately told you not to?”

  He stormed straight up to Jemmina, and Cy thought he would have to step up to protect her. Though she was very slight in comparison to Jayr, she stood her ground until the Draken backed down.

  “Given that you were eavesdropping on my conversation, I can only assume that you heard it all. Theresa and I are close friends, and she informed me of everything. She told me there would be six, and that you had to remain together no matter what. From now on, you better watch your tongue around me, Draken, or the group will dwindle down to five.” Jemmina raised her palm. It glowed with a menacing purple light that lashed out and wrapped around her arms like serpents.

  Jayr stepped back to press himself against the wall. With a final glare, Jemmina turned back to read Adoette and Noma, making a wide variety of faces with both of them.

  Cy's eyes never left Jayr. The Draken was to blame for everything. It was all some plot to get rid of Cy, to take Kaitlyn away from the last thing she had in her life before all hell broke loose. He was working up the nerve to slam Jayr’s face into the ground when Kaitlyn came running through the door and bolted right up to Cy. Gil was jogging behind her, his expression flustered.

  Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes were glossed over. Faint trails ran down her cheeks where tears had run down her face. She smiled at Cy.

  “You told her not to let me in?” Cy asked slowly.

  Jayr turned away. Kaitlyn looked between the two of them, shock overcoming her features. “You did what?” she whispered.

  Jayr sneered. “It had to be done.”

  In a furious rage, Cy stormed over to Jayr and grabbed him by the front of his armor. He growled at Jayr as he slammed him into the wall, baring his teeth. “You want to tell me what's been going on here? I made you a promise, remember? Time to make good on that.”

  Cy pulled his hand back, talons at the ready. Kaitlyn was begging him to stop, trying to reason with him, but he couldn't hear her over his rage. Jayr's eyes were full of fear, the edges of his armor biting into his neck.

  Jemmina was on Cy in an instant, launching him backwards. Though she wasn't as strong as he was, she had caught him by surprise and he fell to the floor. Jayr collapsed in front of him, gasping for breath.

  “What did I tell you about watching your temper, demon?” Jemmina flared, looming over him. Her hands were on her hips, but the snake-like tendrils of magic were reaching for him.

  Cy got to feet quickly, ushering Kaitlyn behind him. He clenched his fists at his sides, forcing the talons back into their sheaths. “I have a name, temptress,” he hissed, containing his anger as directed.

  “Congratulations, Cyllorian. But you will have to do much better in the future if you wish to succeed in your endeavors. And I must say, you are showing impressive control over your borrowed magic,” Jemmina said with another wicked smile.

  Does everything have to be a test with this woman? I swear, it's driving me freaking nuts! Cy thought until her choice of words hit him. “You said my magic was borrowed. Do you know anything? Can you help us?”

  “I'm sorry. I am doing all I can for you. I know less about the situation than you do. I am entwined with your fates no further than giving you shelter.”

  Cy cursed under his breath and paced in a circle. Noticing all eyes staring at him, he made his way to the far edge of the room. He felt the eyes boring into his back like knives, all of them watching and waiting for his next move.

  “On that note, we are all here. You must rest. You'll not get another chance like this for quite some time, I can assure you. Here you are perfectly safe and welcomed, with no responsibilities other than those to your own bodies. All of you, off to a room to rest. Kaitlyn, Gil, Jayr, I've showed you where to go. Adoette and Noma, I can show you to your room. Cyllorian, would you be so kind to watch things down here? You don't need to sleep, do you?”

  Jemmina turned to him, and he whirled to yell a sarcastic remark. The look in her eyes caught him off guard, and he stood there, speechless. There was a deep sorrow when she looked at him, with no one else to see. Even without touching him, it seemed she could read him perfectly. She knew how he would like to be alone.

  He looked away. He nodded awkwardly, and turned back to the wall. He rested his fist against it and leaned his forehead on his hand for support. He listened as Jemmina herded the rest up a set of stairs, and sighed. Though he’d wanted to be left alone, he didn't know just how lonely the sudden silence would be.

  “This is such a mess!” Cy growled, burying his face in his hands. The outside air was brisk as it entwined with the magic in his body, and he was jealous of the others' body heat. The stone bench he sat on gave him no solace from the cold, but he ignored it.

  Jemmina had a beautiful garden behind her house. There were small red flowers poking out from under the purple rose bushes and large blue sunflowers that were too tall to support themselves. In the farthest corner, leaning against the wall for support, there was a tall green flower with a teal stalk. Its petals were thin and pointed, turning violet at the ends.

  Cy tilted his head back to stare at the sky. The light of the towers located further into Centric drowned out the stars, and clouds rolled eerily across the empty sky. “None of this would be happening if I had just been left in that damned box.”

  He heard someone walk up behind him, but didn't bother to see who it was. After a moment, they laid a hand on his shoulder, and a familiar soft voice flitted into his mind. Join?

  Cy leaned forward to rest his arms on his knees. “Who am I to tell you what you can and can't do? That's Noma's job.”

  Adoette sat down quietly next to him, resting her hand on his gently. Lonely? she asked.

  “I'm used to it,” Cy said simply, staring at the ground.

  Why?

  Cy could feel her saddened gaze on him, and he shifted under it. “Because no one ever wants to be around a demon.”

  You want to be alone. It wasn't a question, but he nodded reluctantly anyway. He spared a sideways glance at her. She was a lot like Kaitlyn. Overly trusting. Curious. Gentle. And most importantly, innocent.

  “Why are you so determined to give up your life to help me? I need to know,” Cy asked. He never had the courage to ask Kaitlyn, so asking Adoette was the next best thing. Her answer didn't matter to him, so there was no risk in the question.

  You have good intentions, she said simply. She looked up and smiled, Cy following her gaze. Since she had come outside, the stars were shining more brightly, their light dwarfing even the moon.

  After a long moment, Adoette said, Your anger is genuine, but it is not at the others. You wear the target for your hatred and guilt. You are missing something, that I can tell, and you do not know how to function without it.

  Cy looked down at his hands, and the engraving of Arion's lightning bolt stood out in the darkness. His magic flared with his guilt as he warred with himself. What does it matter if she knows? I have to tell someone, and there's no one else. I just have to ge
t it over with.

  He took a deep breath, then said, “Would you believe me if I said I had a brother?”

  Family? She said enthusiastically. Her smiled beamed, but faded shortly.

  “You could say that. I had a brother, but I hated him. I wanted him dead more than anything, because I blamed everything on him. But that was before I met him. I was forced to spend a lot of time with him, and he grew on me. But I was still so angry, and there was no one else to take it out on, so he got the short end of the stick. I was selfish, and my actions got him killed. That's who we want to bring back, my little brother. The worst part of it is that he never even knew we were technically related.”

  It all came out in a rush, and once it was gone, he felt like he would collapse. He was fueled solely by his regret, and now that it was out in the open, it was like he had nothing else.

  Adoette was silent for a long moment, and pulled her hand away from his. He snuck a quick glance at her, expecting fear in her eyes. He was taken aback to find tears flowing down her cheeks.

  He cleared his throat and continued, more for his own benefit. “Theresa's our mother. She created me first, but it’s not like I'm her flesh and blood. But for those first two years, I was her son. Then out of nowhere, Arion came along, her real son, and I was just a burden. She locked me up for years, and when I was let out, it was by Arion, of all people. How ironic that the one person I hated more than anything was the one to set me free, and the one I'd end up bound to for the next few years. Hell, he's dead and gone and I'm still bound to him. Pathetic, right?”

  Cy scoffed at himself, and buried his face again. Adoette's breathing hitched on a sob, and Cy sat up. She was wiping her face on her arm, a strict determination set in her face. Her eyes darted around the garden and her mouth hung open.

  “I…I trust you, Cyllorian. I will help you get your brother back,” Adoette said aloud. Her voice was barely more than a whisper, hoarse from lack of use. Even so, it was a musical sound that brought the garden to life around them.

  The drooping blue flowers lifted themselves to bathe in the moonlight, dropping pollen that glowed when it touched the ground. More and more red flowers sprang out from under the weight of the purple roses, and the two plants fought to occupy the small space. The trees at the edge of Jemmina's yard swayed without a breeze. The shadows they cast danced over the grass that was thriving despite fall setting in. Owls chimed into a chorus all around them, mimicking her voice. It was as if everything had been given life when she spoke.

  She smiled at Cy, blushing brightly. He smiled back and nodded to her. Adoette yawned, and though she fought against it, it overtook her. She stood and bowed sheepishly, holding her long dress out to her sides. She retreated back into the house, leaving Cy to await the sunrise on his own.

  Chapter 16

  Kaitlyn

  “What makes you think I started it?” Jayr’s voice could be heard clearly throughout the entire house. It was far from a pleasant way to be woken up.

  “Maybe because you are always the one who starts it!” Gil yelled back.

  With a groan, Kaitlyn forced herself out of bed. Her body was just starting to feel the wear of their adventures, and everything was sore. She pulled her hair into a tight ponytail while Vyekrin wriggled out of the blankets. He climbed onto her shoulder.

  Kaitlyn groggily followed the sounds of the argument, not bothering to pay attention to what was said. She came down to the living room to find the boys sitting around each other. They were separated by thick lines of black fire on the floor.

  Jemmina was slumped over in a chair. Her face was scarily pale, and she held onto her stomach. “If any of you dare to cross those lines, I’ll kill you,” she muttered, though her threat lacked spirit.

  Kaitlyn padded to Jemmina’s side, refusing to look at the others. Almost on instinct, she rubbed small circles on Jemmina’s back. She felt the Mage relax under her touch, and she grinned.

  “What could you three have possible found to fight over this early in the day?” Kaitlyn asked. She turned to the others, but no one answered. Gil stared down at his lap. He looked guilty, but determined. Jayr had his arms crossed over his chest, his jaw clenched tightly. Cy was lying on his stomach and playing with the fire in front of him.

  Kaitlyn looked between the three of them, but they refused to answer. She sighed heavily. “Jayr, stop antagonizing Gil. And Gil, stop reacting to him every time. He just wants your attention. This isn’t the time for a lover’s quarrel.”

  Cy burst out laughing. Jayr and Gil talked over each other, neither one able to make a complete sentence to deny her claim. Jayr’s face had turned bright red while Gil’s had drained of all color. The smirk on Jemmina’s face was clear as day.

  “That’s exactly what I said. Were you listening in?” Cy asked when he settled down. Kaitlyn shook her head. Cy dropped his head onto his arms, chuckling under his breath. The fire around them died out, but no one moved. Jayr and Gil avoided eye contact at all costs.

  “This house hasn’t been this lively in so long. It’s nice,” a new voice sounded. All attention turned to the doorway to the entrance. A large, dark-skinned man stood just inside the room. He wore a loose shirt over plain slacks, and metal bracers on his wrists. His smile was radiant, reaching all the way to his ice blue eyes

  “Welcome, Holten,” Jemmina said without raising her head. Holten’s smile softened, and he moved to stand behind Jemmina. All eyes were drawn to him, and they watched his every move. Only Cy remained unaffected as he lay perfectly still on the floor. Holten’s presence had been so engaging that no one had noticed the guest he had brought with him.

  Theresa leaned against the doorframe, gaze locked on Jemmina. The tension in the air at Theresa’s appearance was smothering. Kaitlyn looked to Cy for help, but he was as lost for words as she was. His fists were clenched tightly, and there were small holes in the floor in front of him.

  Adoette ran into the room, her arms full of bright colored flowers. Noma flitted behind her slowly, carrying a large orange orchid. She stepped before Jemmina first, ignoring her stress. She placed a crown made of yellow tulips and pink daisies on her head. Adoette moved onto Kaitlyn next, quickly tucking bright blue peonies into her hair. Finally, she approached Theresa easily and presented Noma’s orchid with the biggest smile possible.

  Theresa took it carefully and rested it on her ear. Adoette twirled once, then dropped onto the floor in the middle of the boys.

  “What is a Kindling doing here?” she asked quietly.

  Adoette didn’t react to the harsh question, but Noma was clearly agitated as she paced across her shoulders.

  “What do you mean? You told us to go get one, right?” Cy retorted immediately.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about. My instructions were to follow a path around the woods in order to reach Centric.”

  Cy glared at Jayr. He shrugged his shoulders, and responded, “I guess I misunderstood her orders.” His words sounded forced and his expression was clear of any confusion. Kaitlyn couldn’t deny that he was acting suspiciously, but she knew better than to call him on it now.

  “You all made it here alive. What’s done is done. Shall we, Jemmina?”

  At the sound of her name, Jemmina stood obediently. Theresa led Jemmina and Holten to a room at the back of the house. As they left, it felt as though the air had finally returned to the room. Gil relaxed and let out a long breath, and Cy stretched along the floor. Jayr stood abruptly and entered the back half of the house behind the adults.

  Kaitlyn made up her mind and followed him as he exited the house into the garden. “It’s amazing that Theresa met us here. Don’t you think so?” she asked as soon as they were alone.

  Jayr whirled around in shock. “Yes. It’ll be much easier to move forward from here.”

  “I’ve been wanting to ask her a few things, so this is the perfect opportunity. A lot has happened in the past couple weeks, and I was hoping she could make sense of it,”
Kaitlyn said, feigning innocence.

  “Now isn’t the time to explore your simple curiosity, Kaitlyn. You shouldn’t waste her time.”

  Kaitlyn walked closer to him. She focused intently and controlled the change in her body, as well as her tone. “You’re right. Maybe you could answer my questions, instead. I’m sure that would be better than her finding out how you were trying to get rid of Cyllorian this entire time.”

  She was only a few inches from him. She held her shoulders straight and her head high as she stared him down.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Jayr said quickly. He shifted his weight uncomfortably.

  “You’ve taken every opportunity to try to cut him off. Suggesting we split up in Centric, then dragging me away by force. Lying about Theresa, telling us to go into the Kindling Woods rather than around. Even back in Deidrich, you tried leading me away from where he and Gil were waiting. Or am I wrong?” Kaitlyn took a small step forward, and Jayr began to retreat.

  “You seriously don’t understand anything, do you? You’ve said it yourself: you’re a human, you don’t belong in this world. You don’t know anything,” Jayr snapped defensively.

  Kaitlyn smirked at him. “Do I still look human to you? No. I need to start getting used to this world, and I already know more than you realize. You think Cy can’t be trusted because he’s a demon. Theresa sent him specifically to get you, when she clearly could have gone herself, right? You told us she showed up to talk to you, so why didn’t she just take you back with her then? Why send you along with someone she doesn’t trust—”

  “Shut up! I already told you, you wouldn’t understand even if I spelled it out to you. So be a good little girl and be silent!” Jayr snapped. His fists were trembling at his side, and he was sweating.