by Jessa Ford
“You want me to stay here?” She felt a lump rising in her throat at the thought of leaving Xave after everything they’d been through. Did he think she would slow them down because she allowed the Light Wielder to catch her? “I can’t complete the work I need to do in Telgria,” Xave’s voice was void of emotion, but Cora noticed his eyes deceived him, as if they were hopeful for something. “Do you not want me to come with you?” Cora brushed the hair out of her face as the wind whipped it around in a strong gust. She concentrated on securing the loose strands atop her head in hopes of keeping her emotions at bay.
Xave looked at Cora and ached to reach out and touch her; he remembered with such clarity how even their brief kiss ignited something within him. She looked at him with silent fury, as if he had betrayed her. “Everything I do is dangerous until the threat of Nikol is gone, Cora. I want you to be safe, but your decisions should always be your own. I also don’t want you to leave the people you care for, and Martin and Dari can help keep you and everyone safe in Telgria for the time being.” His eyes met hers with intensity. They were not the same eyes she had grown accustomed to glaring at in the library so many months before. They held something else in them now.
“There’s nothing for me in Telgria once I know my parents are safe,” Cora didn’t offer any further explanation, but crossed the few feet between them. A brush with danger had made her bolder; and truth be told, she was tired of the silent back and forth between them. “Nikol is trying to lure me in by attacking the people I care for. If Martin and Dari can keep everyone safe in Telgria, then I don’t need to worry about them for now. If I stayed behind I would only drive myself crazy worrying about you.”
Xave felt his chest tighten, but he didn’t dare move. “So,” Cora closed the last few inches between them and reached her hand up toward his face, but drew it back at the last second, “if you don’t want me to go with you then fine. Just say so, but stop being so cryptic. You kiss me one day and then treat me like a stranger after. You draw me close like you want to be near me, and then you push me away. It’s maddening.” Xave slowly allowed his walls to fall. The hint of a smile crept up on his lips and Cora felt relief rush through her. Her brown eyes reflected hope where before they were filled with questions and concern. “And did you even consider I may need to brush up on my time bending skills every now and again? It isn’t like I can just go out and find another Time Bender to train me, though now that I think about it, perhaps they’d be more agreeable.”
Xave shook his head and smiled down at Cora. He slowed time as he wrapped his arms around her. He let his hands wander, finally settling on either side of her face as he tilted it up toward his. He had longed to do this since she arrived safely in Arvendry. “What is it this time?” Again, Cora marveled at how she could see the world around her both in pieces and as a whole. “Last time I was afraid I wouldn’t have enough time to get you out of Starbury, but this time I’m just being selfish. I want to make sure I have all the time in the world,” Xave breathed and pressed his lips against hers.
Xave kissed her as if she was the answer to every question he’d ever had. Cora felt a warmth form deep in her stomach, and every time Xave touched her, her skin buzzed. She could have sworn her fingertips were electric when reached up and touched his cheek, and she reveled in how she felt both calm and exhilarated being near him. Whatever barrier had been in place between them was gone without a hope of returning. Breathless, they both paused and looked at each other beaming. “So,” Cora sighed as Xave lessened his control on their surroundings, “what do we do now?”
Unease slowly crept back into Cora’s facial expression. Even if they could slow down time, it would not erase the threat hanging over them all. “It’s funny you should mention finding another Time Bender,” Xave began flipping through a small notebook he pulled from his pocket. Cora stood impatiently as she waited. Of course, he had a plan. “I had a similar thought in mind. Specifically, someone who can teach you the full extent of your gift. At the rate you’re able to control your magic, there isn’t much I can teach you any longer.” Cora nodded. She was beginning to understand just how much magic she possessed. Every time she used her gift it seemed to grow stronger, and it was easier to control.
“How are we going to find a Time Bender? You said yourself any new Time Benders are all but disappeared, and the old Time Benders aren’t like me that we know of.” Cora’s forehead wrinkled as she contemplated their situation. Xave was already in action. “Let’s make sure your friends can get to Martin with a message, and then we’ll need to get away from Telgria,” he bound toward the wall to where Willem and Soph remained. Cora let her new reality sink in and then ran to catch up.
“Are you two able to get back to Telgria?” Xave asked when he’d reached the twosome. “We can’t come with you,” Cora looked solemnly at her friends. Soph tried to mask her disappointment, and sighed, “I understand.” “Will you be alright?” Willem looked more anxious than understanding. “I think we’ll manage.” Cora’s eyes shifted to Xave who, per usual, looked disinterested in small talk. “You and Cora’s parents are going to be moved somewhere safe. As long as Nikol is out there, we’re a danger to anyone close to us,” he explained. Willem crossed his arms over his chest and nodded, “If there’s anything we can do for you, just ask.” Cora smiled. “Thank you both. I’m so sorry for getting you involved.” Soph shook her head and embraced her friend one last time. “I told you we’d find an adventure, didn’t I?” Cora laughed and agreed, “I guess I should have believed you.” She felt as if a giant weight was lifted off of her now that Soph knew her secret.
She walked over to Willem and threw her arms around him. “Thank you for always being my friend. I have a feeling I’m going to need as many as I can get.” He held her close, as if he was afraid he’d never get another chance, “Always, Cor. I never stopped being your friend.” A small part of Cora began to grieve as she realized in that instant the childhood hopes and dreams she had attached to Willem were truly gone. Her innocence and naivety were gone with them, and somehow she knew it would make life harder. At the same time, she was happy to have closure; it gave her a strange peace of mind to realize she had no idea where her path would lead.
Xave instructed Willem and Soph to keep the events of the last few days quiet. He didn’t think it was safe for anyone to know it was true that Nikol returned until they could be sure it wouldn’t cause mass panic. He instructed the duo to get in contact with Martin Keenly as soon as they could. He didn’t think Nikol would go after them again immediately, but it wasn’t worth risking anything. Finally, he and Cora turned toward the path leading out of Telgria. “We’ll travel as far as we can today and then find somewhere to stay tonight. Obviously, we can’t use our real names. I’m sure Nikol has spies out already.” Cora kicked the dirt on the path as they walked. “So, who are we?” “If anyone asks, we’re newlyweds on our way to visit my sick mother who couldn't make it to our wedding ceremony.”
Cora gawked at Xave as she took in what he said. “Newlyweds? I tell you I care about you mere minutes ago and now you’ve gone and married us off? You’re impossible to figure out, Xave Zellows.” Cora didn't dare look at Xave for fear she’d bust out in hysterics. It felt strangely normal to be joking with Xave as they headed into the unknown. He sighed, though slightly less exasperated than usual. “If we’re married it won’t raise suspicion for us to be traveling together and it will allow us to rent a single room for the night. I think the safest thing for us is to make sure we’re together until we know where Nikol is. I don’t trust for a minute he wasn’t planning on our escape from that cave.” Xave continued walking, but Cora saw the slightest twitch in his mouth.
“Where are we going exactly? Other than to visit your mother who has apparently relocated out of Arvendry?” Xave didn’t try to hide his smile this time. “We’re going to find Eldri Arafo,” he said, causing Cora to stop in her tracks. “Eldri Arafo? The famous Time Bender who hasn’t been see
n in over a decade?” “The very one.” “And how do you suppose we do that?” “I have some thoughts,” Xave managed to both answer and cause question at once. “And do you care to share these thoughts you have?” Cora skipped to keep stride with him. “I’ve been tracking her movements in the time between Nikol’s defeat and her disappearance. It was a side project of my own I didn’t share with Dari or Martin.” Cora nodded, understanding. If anyone could put the pieces of this puzzle together, Xave was the best chance they had.
“What do you know?” Cora was both excited and furious that he hadn’t shared this information with her. “Eldri’s biography doesn’t provide much information. We know she’s from Hulsgard, but came to Telgria for her education. She left again before graduating from the School of Magic. Her whereabouts were vague between that time and when she returned to defeat Nikol.” “What about after Nikol’s’ defeat? She stayed for a short time, right? She was like a hero.” Cora thought back to the stories her parents shared about Eldri, but couldn’t remember any detail that would help.
“Most of the information that isn’t word of mouth came from the Telgrian Times. I must have read dozens of pieces on her published in those years. Nothing was particularly helpful, but I did notice every piece published about Eldri was written by the same reporter, Georgia Crest,” Xave handed his notebook to Cora. She smiled at his copious notes. As she suspected, Xave had been planning their excursion for much longer than he let on. She reminded herself to discuss this with him in the future.
“Months back I went to speak with Georgia, who happened to be lecturing at the School of Knowledge. She had a lot of insight from her conversations with Eldri that she didn’t print in her stories. Her best guess is Eldri returned to Hulsgard. Georgia said she always mentioned looking at the stars in the small town where she was born and how calming it was. Apparently, she longed for a non-magical life.” “Hulsgard?” Cora repeated. Hulsgard was the vast desert region separating Telgria and Arvendry. Cora had managed to avoid it during her trek to Arvendry by staying close to the trading road.
Hulsgard was made up of small towns and independent residences. They didn’t have any large cities and stayed mostly closed off to the rest of Caslya. Magical gifts were rare in the region, and Hulgardians with magical gifts usually made their way to Telgria or Arvendry to study. Many Hulgardians lived without magical influence. The terrain was said to be dry, hot, and desolate. “How are we going to find her there?” Cora thought back to one of the maps she’d seen in Martin Keenly’ office. It only showed a piece of Hulsgard and the distance between each location seemed immense. It could take them weeks, if not months, to find a single person, much less someone who didn’t want their whereabouts known. “Georgia thinks her home was near the northern border. In her biography it mentioned her taking day trips into the Forgotten Forest as a girl.” Xave and Cora walked on as the path veered south, leading them further and further away from Telgria.
The Forgotten Forest separated Telgria from Hulsgard west of the river. It was named for many travelers who entered its densely populated paths and never returned. Some say the forest was so overgrown the paths disappeared entirely and travelers merely lost their ways, becoming forgotten over time. Cora heard stories growing up of the beasts and dangers that lived deep in the forest, stalking travelers as they passed through. Some even guessed Nikol Delmarno disappeared to the Forgotten Forest after his defeat, and Cora was happy to denounce that possibility. Still, she was unsure of their plan.
Xave could see the concern written across her face and took her hand in his, “It’s a few days to get through the Forgotten Forest on foot, but we can do it in much less time. We’ll stay at an inn on the forest’s edge tonight. I’m familiar with some of the paths and I can get us as far as I remember tomorrow. We should be more than halfway through by nightfall tomorrow.” He squeezed Cora’s hand and smiled down at her. She nodded, not completely convinced, but happy for the illusion of safety he provided.
TWENTY-THREE
Soph and Willem slowly made their way through the gate of Starbury Academy. They walked directly to her room in silence, letting the events of the past few days solidify in their minds. Soph paused when they arrived at the door, and glanced at Cora’s room across the narrow hallway. An optimist through and through, Soph couldn’t help but feel dread when she thought of her brave friend. Willem took the keys from her shaking hand and opened the door. Suddenly, Soph looked at him with tears in her eyes. He met her stare with equal concern.
They stood in Soph’s entryway, fully understanding each other’s emotions. “Do you think they’ll save us?” Soph sniffled and wiped the tears off her cheeks with the back of her hand. “If anyone can, it’s Cora. She’s the smartest person I know.” Willem wiped the last tear off Soph’s cheek and kept his hand in place for a moment. “You’re right,” Soph nodded, her bright green eyes filling with optimism once more. She sighed and wished her friend luck.
“I’ll tell you what, kidnapping sure does wreak havoc on an appetite. I’m starving,” Soph smiled and turned her back to Willem. He laughed as he watched Soph rummage around her cabinets. He was surprised he could laugh, given the gravity of everything that had transpired. “I could eat,” he admitted. “I’m sure Headmaster Keenley can wait a few more minutes before we bring news of impending doom.” Soph set out an array of fruit and candies—the only food she had. “Let’s give him a few more minutes of peace,” Willem agreed. As the sun began to set, Cora’s two friends sat around the small table in her room, a sliver of normalcy amongst the dangerous landscape that awaited them outside.
✽✽✽
Xave and Cora noticed the road to the forest became more populated as they approached a small town. They had been bending time to make it to the edge of the forest by nightfall. Cora observed Xave’s behavior change immediately as they neared the main street--the only street--of the small border town. He moved to stand nearer to her, and rested his hand on her lower back. Cora flinched at first, surprised by his touch. “We’re newlyweds, remember?” He flashed her a sly smile and Cora leaned into his person. It wasn’t the worst position to be in, she admitted to herself.
They stopped in front of the one and only inn. Xave handed Cora some money and pointed her toward the general store. “We need to look like we’re traveling. Buy enough provisions for a three-day journey and a change of clothes. We’re traveling light, but our story won’t be believable if we show up empty handed.” “And if someone starts asking too many questions?” Cora realized she was being ridiculous. No one would know they were in the middle of nowhere, on the edge of the Forgotten Forest. “I’m sure you can use some of your charm on them,” Xave smirked. “I see your overly charming demeanor hasn't suffered in light of recent events,” she mumbled as she hid a smile.
Cora turned to enter the store and felt Xave spun her towards him. “One more thing.” He swiftly slid something over Cora’s ring finger and she looked down and gasped. Atop her finger sat a delicate, yet intricately designed silver ring. In the center was a small pearl surrounded by petals. Vines curved around the sides and met on the bottom where the letter “M” was etched into the metal. “It belonged to my mother at one time,” Xave quickly explained, “she gave it to me and I always keep it with me. It’s the only thing I have of her when I can’t be near her. Coincidentally, my new bride was short a ring.” Cora just nodded silently, admiring the jewelry. She couldn’t help but feel honored he would trust her with something so precious to him. “We have to keep up appearances.” He nudged her toward the store. Cora grinned as she walked through the doorway.
The store was sparsely stocked, so Cora had little trouble finding what she needed. Though the clothing section was small, she was able to find a pair of black linen pants and a short-sleeve green linen blouse. She also picked up a colorful scarf to protect her face from the Hulsgardian weather. For Xave she found a similar men’s style of clothing which would help ward off the warm desert heat. She sat it al
l atop the countertop along with a decent amount of food, and waited for the only other person in the store to notice her.
“Is this all?” The old woman at the counter turned around slowly and surveyed Cora’s items. “Yes ma’am,” she answered quietly, hoping to make as small of an impression as possible. “Traveling?” The woman asked Cora. “Hm?” Cora looked up, and the woman pointed to the clothing. “Not very practical for this weather,” she gestured to the window and passers-by in their coats and cold weather attire. Cora smiled sweetly, “We’re on our way to visit my mother-in-law in Hulsgard and wouldn’t you know, I didn’t pay any mind to the weather there?” Cora giggled and flashed her ring finger in front of her face. “I guess married life has done away with my practicality.”
Her story seemed to appease the old woman who smiled knowingly. “Ah yes, I remember those days fondly.” She packed up Cora’s things and handed her some change, “Cherish this time, my dear, for the years pass all too quickly.” Cora smiled once more and exited the store. If only the woman knew of Cora and Xave’s perception of time. Of all people, they probably understood how time could trick and deceive someone most of all.
Cora hurried back to the inn where she promptly found Xave speaking to the innkeeper. His shoulders looked tense and she could tell by his facial expression that he was frustrated. The innkeeper was a tall man, as tall as Xave, but nearly twice as wide. His face was overtaken with a large gray beard, and his eyes flashed distrust at Cora’s companion standing in front of him. She quickly joined Xave in hopes of intervening in whatever was taking place.
“There you are,” Cora arrived at Xave’s side and kissed his cheek. Without missing a beat, Xave wrapped his arm around her shoulder and smiled. “My wife couldn’t help herself and had to stop at your local store here in Greensburg.” Cora committed the name of the town to memory. The town didn’t stand out on any map she’d seen, but she wasn’t surprised. This part of Caslya was not well-traveled aside from locals. In fact, if they weren’t hunting down an elusive heroine, Cora doubted she would have ever traveled to this part of the empire at all.