by Jessa Ford
“It isn’t like I didn’t notice you. I’ve just grown accustomed to being alone. There are only three people who know about my gift, Cora. How could I get close to someone and risk they find out?” She sat in silence as she considered this. It must have been lonely keeping others at a distance to keep himself safe. She’d only been doing it a short time and she longed to tell her parents. Telling Soph and Willem had been a relief, and Cora had only kept her secret for a few months. Slowly, over the time they’d spent together training, Xave had been weighing whether or not she was work the risk. He’d decided she was.
“At any rate,” Cora yawned and leaned back awkwardly against the mattress of leaves Xave had constructed, “I’m very glad you tried to knock me off a ladder that day in the library, Xave Zellows.” Xave opened his mouth to argue, but Cora shot up and placed a quick kiss on his mouth. Xave shook his head. He lay back and put his arm around Cora again, and moved so she could shift and rest her head on his chest. They fell asleep with ease as the sound of the forest grew louder around them.
TWENTY-FOUR
Soph and Willem watched the sunrise from the floor of the small sitting room in Martin Keenley’s home. Cups of tea were stacked on either side of them while mounds of paper and maps took up the remaining space in the room. Martin continued pacing, as he had been doing for the past few hours. Though they’d just met, Willem got the distinct feeling Martin was a strange man. He kept looking over at Soph who would smile and shake her head.
The young pair arrived the previous evening to give Martin an update on what had occurred the days before. He sat in silence, dread creeping into his already timeworn face as their story unfolded. Though he was old enough to remember what it was like before, this time felt different. Nikol acted more desperately than he had in the past, and Martin worried a great deal. Finally, the short man stopped dead in his tracks and rushed upstairs without a word. Soph looked at Willem who only shrugged and turned his eyes toward the staircase.
Minutes later, Headmaster Keenley returned with a stack of papers and a long scroll, all of which he dropped in a heap on his floor. He sat down and began sorting the stack of papers into smaller piles while his glasses inched closer and closer to the edge of his nose. Soph and Willem watched in silence in order to avoid interrupting his workflow. After all the papers were sorted, Martin handed each student a few stacks and explained, “We know Nikol only employs those with magical gifts. Typically, someone older and more experienced has more control over their gifts. That’s not to say he won’t have young recruits, but it’s less likely. These are the copies of the Telgrian Register from the past 20 years. I’ve separated the lists into each magical gift. We need to go through and see that everyone is accounted for. Those whom we cannot find are likely to be working with Nikol.”
Soph nodded, but Willem paused, “Is this the best use of our time? I mean, wouldn't this be incredibly time consuming? We aren’t exactly Time Benders.” He flipped through the stacks of paper on his lap. The old man smiled from his seat on the floor and shook his head. “Not to worry, I’ve got a few trusted contacts in various parts of the city who would be happy to provide us with information. Once we have an idea of the types of individuals working for Nikol, we can better prepare to defend ourselves.” Soph yawned and set her papers on the floor near her feet. “I’ll put another pot on,” she grabbed the teacups and made her way through the maze of papers toward the kitchen.
Martin then unrolled the scroll which showed a very detailed map of Telgria and its surrounding areas including the Wendian Mountains. “You said you were kept in a cave?” Willem crouched over the map, “It couldn’t have been more than a few miles from the Telgrian wall. The cave walls were made of the same material we dig out for building resources.” Martin smiled, “Very resourceful.” Willem took a closer look at the map. “The structure seemed man made. Based on the terrain, they would have had to sneak at least some supplies out of Telgria. They couldn’t make it further than roughly this space here without heavier equipment to dig out the mountain.” Willem traced a line along the mountain range. “Interesting,” Martin pondered. “I’ll reach out and see what I can find. It’s unlikely Nikol will still use the location again, but if we can get enough information about who is working with him and how, we may be able to determine his next move.”
✽✽✽
As Xave parted the branches in front of him he began to make out the shape of buildings below them. He silently thanked the heavens. They had walked for hours since they woke early in the morning, and he refused to give into the doubt that they weren’t going in the right direction. The landscape showcased a stark contrast between the green of the forest and the brown of Hulsgard. It was almost as if a physical line had been drawn.
Cora stood at his side and stared in awe. “I’ve never been this far from home,” she mused. Xave pulled her close in a reassuring half-hug. “Aren’t you the girl who wanted an adventure?” he teased. “It’s possible I got a bit more than I bargained for.” “I doubt that very much,” Xave started toward the town, Cora a half step behind him. Despite her words, Xave didn’t miss the look on Cora’s face when she used her magic. She absolutely came alive when she let her magic flow.
When they first reached the town, they were not surprised to see only a few people in the streets. Dust storms were frequent and came on quickly, so many Hulsgardians stayed indoors unless they had a specific need to leave. Their crops were all grown in giant greenhouses on the outskirts of town, or in smaller edifices for those who lived too far from a town. Cora pulled the scarf tighter around her head and covered her face with one end as specs of dust and dirt flew up toward them.
“We’ll start here,” Xave pointed toward the lone inn and restaurant, the Windy Watchtower. It was a narrow building, at least five or six stories tall. At one time, they suspected, it was a bright white. Time and dust had faded the color to a somewhat tan hue, just like everything else in the tiny town. The heavy, faded yellow doors heaved open, and the two Time Benders hurried inside. There was a simple desk inside with a sign that listed information about the building. The restaurant was on the second floor, so they quickly climbed the stairs and looked for an empty table.
Cora and Xave slid into the same side of an empty booth and he absentmindedly grabbed her hand. Within minutes a tall woman with kind blue eyes and gray hair angling around her face appeared at their side. “What can I get for you fine folks?” she smiled brightly. “Waters, please.” Cora noticed there were few people in the restaurant. “A necessity here, am I right?” The woman chuckled and left toward the kitchen. She returned to their table with two large glasses of water a few minutes later and began questioning them.
“Did you come from the north or south?” She immediately knew they were not from Hulsgard based on the lack of sunlight on their skin. “North,” Xave didn’t make eye contact as he continued to scan the room. “That’s good,” the woman continued, drawing Xave and Cora’s attention toward her. “What do you mean?” Cora asked. “You haven’t heard about Arvendry?” The woman raised an eyebrow. “What about Arvendry?” Xave’s hold on Cora’s hand tightened and she felt his leg muscles tense. “Apparently a group of Thought Seekers arrived on orders from Nikol Delmarno,” she whispered his name, “they’re looking for some Time Benders. They think someone is hiding them in Arvendry.”
Cora’s mind instantly flashed to Malen and her bakery. “How did they get past the gates?” Xave’s knuckles were white. “They killed the guards. All of them,” the woman looked solemnly at her customers, “you all have family in Arvendry?” “No,” Xave’s answer stopped the questioning and the woman sighed. “Well, let’s just hope they don’t get the need to travel too far past the larger cities. Although with weather like this, I doubt they’d make it too far into Hulsgard,” she pointed toward the window where Cora noticed only a few rays of sunlight peeking out from a brown haze. “A storm?” Cora asked. “A big one from the looks of it. I’ll leave you to ch
eck out the menus.” With that, the woman left them alone and checked on her other guests.
Before Cora could say anything to Xave he was already moving. “I need to get to Arvendry.” Cora gawked, looking up at him. “Are you crazy?” She grabbed his arm and whispered at him, “They’re looking for you. You can’t go there!” Xave left some money on the table and walked out into the dimly lit hallway with Cora following close behind. “Xave, please!” Cora jumped in front of him and pushed him into an alcove overlooking the sparse town below. Xave’s face reflected pain and worry, and Cora’s heart sank. She understood the need to get to Arvendry, but at what cost?
“If they find you then it’s all for nothing. I can’t do this alone,” she pleaded with him once more. Xave look at her with sympathy, but he had already made up his mind. “Cora, I...I don’t have a choice,” he took her hands in his and rested his forehead against hers. “It’s my mother. Your parents still don’t know the extent of your gift, but my mother...they’ll read her thoughts and they’ll know everything. And they’ll torture her for more information, even if they can see she doesn’t have anything else to give them.”
Cora’s eyes filled with tears at the thought of Malen being interrogated in the caves. “I know, but she’s so strong and so smart,” Cora began. Xave shook his head, “If they take her then they’ll never let her go. We both know that. I have to at least try to save her.” Cora willed herself not to cry and she embraced the tall Time Bender. “I know,” she finally said as she exhaled into his chest. “It won’t take me more than a day or two to get to Arvendry and return with her. Find Eldri Arafo’s old house and wait for me there.” As if it were that easy. “How?” Cora surveyed the weather outside only to find the last few drops of sunlight had disappeared. “Use my notebook. It’s just two days, Cora. I promise.” She nodded and held him tighter.
Xave’s notebook was safely stashed in their bags, and she had to admit, she was itching to read it. She at least knew where to start based on their conversations about Eldri. Xave cupped Cora’s face in his hands and kissed her with desperation, only pulling away when the fear began to eat away at the corners of his mind again. “Cora, I, “he started, but then stopped and simply said, “be safe.” He squeezed her hands and moved to walk past her into the hallway again. “Promise me one more thing?” she asked and Xave paused. “Let’s not make a habit of you leaving to put yourself in danger anymore?” Xave fought the urge to turn back and kiss her once more. When she looked up he was gone.
✽✽✽
Cora returned to the restaurant and found the server from before. “Excuse me,” she waved to get her attention. “Changed your mind, then?” The woman shuffled to Cora’s side. “I thought you two’d up and left without eating.” “Well, yes,” Cora stammered, “I mean we wanted to beat the storm to get to our destination. The only thing is, I’m not entirely sure where it is we need to run off to.” “And your husband?” The woman looked around for Xave after glancing at the ring on Cora’s finger. “He’s securing us a room downstairs for later,” Cora answered almost too quickly. The woman merely nodded. “Where is it you’re trying to beat this storm to?” she inquired. It was a long shot, but Cora truly had no idea where to start.
“Well, you see, I’m a student in Telgria and I’m writing a historical account of some local legends.” “Mmhm,” the woman was losing interest, so Cora cut out any unnecessary details. “I was assigned Eldri Arafo and I heard a rumor that she was born in Hulsgard. I was hoping to visit her childhood home. Do you know anything about it?” Cora swore she say the woman twitch, but she shrugged, “Can’t say I do.” She began to walk away and Cora tried once more. “Please! It would...it would really help me out. I’m afraid if I can’t complete my assignment I’ll be unable to pass my course and I’m out of options. I’ve already exhausted all the libraries and I’m sure Dari, the librarian, is going to ban me if I ask her for any more books.”
To her surprise, the tall woman laughed, “Librarians really are a funny bunch, aren't they? I can’t say I know anything for certain, but if I were you I’d check the small farms due south of here. Not sure if you’ll beat the storm, but there’s been an empty home about two miles out for as long as anyone can remember.” Cora breathed a sigh of relief and thanked the woman, then ran out of the room. When she was sure no one could see her, she bended time to get to the edge of town in seconds. The road leading out of town was already blown over with dust, and Cora was certain she was the only person crazy enough to be outside. Between the dust, the wind, and the lack of sunlight, Cora would have to walk at a normal pace to get to the house, for fear she might miss it. She wrapped her scarf around her head so that only her eyes were left exposed and willed the dust storm to hold off until she found shelter.
✽✽✽
Xave’s heart continued to beat out of his chest as he used all his might to get to Arvendry as fast as possible. His mind kept feeding him images of Nikol’s hunters breaking down the door of his mother’s bakery. Despite their relation, Xave was certain Nikol wouldn’t make any exceptions. Based on the stories he’d heard, the man was as ruthless as they came. Sometimes it was strange to imagine Xave was related to him at all.
The only thing he really knew about his grandfather were snippets of comments his mother made over the years. He had no idea who the man behind the monster really was. At some point he had to have been a good man, because his mother mentioned happiness in her childhood. Xave thought about Cora alone in Hulsgard. If something happened to her, would he become like his grandfather? Would his grief cause him to lose his humanity? It worried Xave that there was a possibility it could happen, and it worried him more he couldn’t honestly say what he would do if he found himself in such a position.
TWENTY-FIVE
Cora quickly left the town behind and began walking down the desolate road. There hadn’t been a soul in sight since she left the Windy Watchtower. Worse, there wasn’t anything in sight. It began to feel like she’d been led astray. After walking for much longer than she’d like, Cora’s spirits lifted as she spotted a structure in the distance on her path. Though dust surrounded her, and the wind whipped past her violently, she found she was not directly affected by any of it as she pressed down the dusty road toward the house. It made her slow trek almost bearable.
Instinctively, Cora slowed time as she neared the home. By the looks of it, no one was living in the home, though she couldn’t be sure until she got to the windows. Brushing the dust aside, her heart leapt. The house was abandoned without a doubt. Cora pushed against the old wooden door and found little resistance. She was able to force it open and a gust of wind blew years of dust and dirt out of the main room. She shut the door and a sigh of relief escaped her. The place had definitely been a home to a family. She saw children’s toys in a corner and two child-level hooks near the door.
It was strange to think of Eldri Arafo as a child. She was always portrayed as a young heroine in stories, shroud in mystery and strength. The only photos of her showed a grainy picture of a young woman with long hair. She had no discernable features that Cora could make out, except that her eyes were light in color, and her hair was probably a light brown color. If this was her home, Cora would be hard-pressed to find anything leading her to Eldri in the dust that surrounded her.
Cora didn’t know what she was looking for, but she continued to search the home for any signs that may help their cause, and eventually made her way upstairs. The second level of the home had two rooms, one with two children’s beds and another that belonged to their parents. Cora could not shake the feeling that she was disturbing ghosts as she looked around the space. Even though the home had clearly been abandoned for some time, she felt like she was upsetting a kind of macabre peace that had befallen the place.
The children’s room was just that: a room filled with old toys, dolls, and keepsakes. The closet was nearly empty, save for a few boxes on a shelf. Cora opened one and saw it was full of old shoes. Nothing els
e in the room seemed important enough to lead Cora to finding its old inhabitants. The second bedroom, however, was strange. A woman clearly lived here once, because her clothes hung in the closet. The styles were too old to belong to Eldri Arafo, and Cora moved onto a wardrobe in the corner, its once pink paint turned light and chipped with age.
She opened the first drawer and saw a necklace placed gracefully atop more folded clothes. Cora wondered why the woman who lived here had left all her items intact, as the rest of the rooms were more or less empty. Picking up the necklace, she studied the design on the front; intricate lines swirled over the front. Cora turned it over in her hand and saw two sets of initials engraved: EA & LA. She felt her heartbeat quicken. “This is it,” she said to no one in particular, and fiddled with the lock until it opened the large oval.
Peering down at its contents, Cora gasped when she saw what was enclosed. Staring back at her were the faces of two young girls. Cora recognized one instantly, albeit a much younger version of the person she knew now. “Eldri Arafo…but how could…” Cora stood in confusion, turning the locket over in her hand. If it was true, she needed to return to Telgria as fast as possible. She knew Xave would understand, but searched the home for a way to leave a message for him at any rate. She wasn’t sure she could wait until he returned.
The kitchen was nearly empty, but in a drawer near the sink she found a pencil. The only books left in the home were farming almanacs and a very worn copy of children’s stories. Cora felt wrong ripping a page out of the children’s book, so she opted for the farming book. She quickly penned a message to Xave.