“Perhaps I could meet him while I’m here,” Ari said, wondering if he could be the recently deceased master he’d been told about. That made sense if he’d been the one to plant the garden.
“That won’t be possible.” She walked on, giving nothing away, yet also making him more certain he was right. This would make Jasmine the owner of the apothecary. The way she knew the winding paths she was leading him through, did seem to indicate a familiarity, or perhaps ownership, of this garden.
They came upon a gazebo covered in climbing trails of flowers and he followed Jasmine up the stairs.
“Are these jasmine flowers?”
She nodded. “You recognize the scent?”
“I recognize their shape. Did your father plant these, too?” he asked, hoping to keep her here just a moment longer, not ready to see her leave.
“The Alchemist will meet you here.” She retreated down the steps.
“Wait!” he said, reaching for her, only to have her recoil from his touch. “Please, will you keep me company until he gets here?”
“I’m afraid not.” She took another step away from him.
“Please?” He wasn’t used to a woman running away from him. Normally it was him trying to find excuses for him to run away himself.
She shook her head, and just for one tiny moment, he thought he caught a glimpse of who she really was underneath the fog.
“The Alchemist won’t be long.” He could barely hear her words from behind the sachet that was now plastered to her face as she drew in deep breaths.
“What’s in that thing you’re smelling?”
“It keeps me safe,” she said, taking another step away from him and casting her eyes down. “From the plague.”
“Jasmine, do you think…”
Before he could finish his question, she turned and scuttled away from the gazebo.
As he pushed down his disappointment, he reached for his pendant, removing it from underneath his shirt for just a moment to remind him of who he was and who he was searching for. Jasmine may have dazzled him with her beauty, however, there were more important things at stake here than a pretty girl.
Rather than take a seat, he wandered around the gazebo, looking out across the garden, admiring it from all the different aspects. There were women with baskets, working to tend the plants and take from them what they needed, singing as they worked. It was a song about luck and seemed eerie as they lifted their sachets to their noses in unison at the end of each verse.
Being trapped in a trance didn’t seem so lucky to Ari. Would they be this cheerful if he found a way to wake them up? Perhaps it wasn’t such a crime to leave someone locked inside their head if they were as happy as these women appeared to be. No, that wasn’t right. There was something very suspicious going on here. How dare the Alchemist do this to these women! He’d been right to come. It wasn’t just the men of Wintergreen who needed his help. It was the women, too. If he didn’t act now then by the time he became King, he’d be ruling over a kingdom of sleepwalkers.
“It’s you!”
Ari spun around at the sound of the voice, but instead of seeing the Alchemist as he expected, it was a boy.
“It’s really you,” the boy said, stepping up to the gazebo, his blue eyes wide.
Damn it! How had this boy recognized him? Why would a child have any reason to know what the Prince of Wintergreen looked like? He hadn’t even thought any boys were left alive in Cypress, so at least that was a positive.
“I’m not who you think I am,” he said, hoping to talk the boy out of what he was thinking.
“You’re the man with the beard. I’ve seen you before… in a dream. You’re the man who’s come to help me. Mother was right. I was wrong to doubt her.”
“Oh.” It seemed he hadn’t been recognized after all. Although, he had actually come to help. “Who are you? I thought…”
“You thought all the boys were dead from the blue plague, didn’t you?”
Ari nodded slowly, not wanting to offend.
“They are.” The boy was matter of fact. “The plague doesn’t like me. I’m not sure why. Hopefully, it won’t like you either.”
“What’s your name?” Ari asked.
“Raphael. What’s yours?”
“Ar… Doctor Abner.”
“That’s not your name.” Raphael shrugged. “But I’ll call you that if you like.”
“Why do you think it’s not my name?”
“Dunno.” He shook his blond mop of hair. “It’s just not.”
Ari smiled. He liked this boy, despite the fact he had the potential to blow his cover. He was sharp. It seemed that whatever the Alchemist was using to zone out the women of Cypress wasn’t working on this boy. Just like the plague, those little bags of salts didn’t seem to like Raphael either.
“I saw you talking to my sister.” Raphael sat on one of the gazebo seats and picked at a splinter of timber.
“Jasmine’s your sister?” Ari was surprised. This boy with his fair hair and eyes was a direct contrast to Jasmine’s dark features.
“Sort of.”
“Sort of?” Ari raised his eyebrows.
“Well, not the Jasmine you met. I don’t know who that is. I mean the Jasmine trapped inside her.”
This shouldn’t have made any sense at all, but Ari nodded, knowing exactly what Raphael meant. Were they the only two people who could see what was happening here? Something needed to be done. If the Alchemist was behind this, which it certainly seemed he was, then he must pay for such a crime.
“You’re taller than you were in my dream,” said Raphael, standing and tilting up his face to look at him.
“Sorry to disappoint.” Ari wondered just how vivid this boy’s dream had been. How strange that he’d dreamed of him like that.
“No, tall’s good. It’s useful. One day I’d like to be tall like you.”
Ari smiled, remembering how at Raphael’s age, he’d longed to be as tall as his father.
“I’m sure you will be,” said Ari, although he was anything but certain of this.
“My sister doesn’t know it yet, but I’m saving her,” said Raphael, changing subjects.
“Oh, how are you doing that?” Now this was interesting. Could this strange child, who seemed wise beyond his years, really know how to save Jasmine?
Raphael shook his head. “Can’t tell you that. Not yet until I see if it works.”
“Well, can you tell me about the Alchemist instead?” asked Ari, deciding it was best to get as much information as he could before he came face-to-face with the man he’d waited almost a decade to confront.
“What do you want to know?” Raphael leaned forward, his face eager to please.
“What does he look like?” asked Ari.
“He’s tall like you. Dark hair with bits of gray. Sort of podgy looking. Twitches his nose a lot.”
That description could work. The Alchemist that Ari was searching for hadn’t been podgy or gray, but many years had passed. And that nose twitch most definitely sounded familiar.
“And his wife? What can you tell me about her?”
“I can take you to her if you like.”
Ari’s eyes darted around, looking for a sign of the approaching Alchemist. Should he wait for him, or take this chance while it was presented to him? If things didn’t go well with the Alchemist, he might never get the opportunity to see his wife for himself. Surely the Alchemist would see him later if he was prepared to see him now?
“His wife is who you really want to see, isn’t it?” asked Raphael.
This sealed it for Ari, even if he had no idea how this strange boy knew so much. Nobody dreamed in that sort of detail. Deciding to choose to see the person who meant most to him, he held his hand out toward the road.
“Please, lead the way. That would be most excellent. Thank you.”
Raphael grinned. “You talk pretty posh for someone dressed like they came out of the garbage.”
“It’
s a disguise.” Ari winked at him and laughed. “I’m actually a prince.”
Instead of Raphael laughing in response to what Ari had hoped he’d think was a joke, he stared at him a little more closely.
“I know.”
This wiped the smile from Ari’s face. “I was only joking.”
“No, you weren’t, but don’t worry. I won’t tell anyone.”
Ari’s mouth flapped open without any words. This boy was quite incredible. The exact opposite of Jasmine and not just in looks. Instead of being vague, he was so astute. Ari made a mental note not to joke with this boy again, unless he meant to. Although, something also told him that he could trust him.
“Come on, let’s go before the Murderer arrives,” said Raphael.
“The Murderer?”
“Yeah. He killed my parents. I’m worried that Jazz will be next now that she’s signed over the apothecary to him. He’s taken everything from us.”
“Jazz?” he asked, trying to keep up.
Raphael nodded. “Jasmine.”
“Oh. And what did Jazz…Jasmine do? She signed over the apothecary to the Alchemist?” She must be in even more of a trance than Ari thought if she’d given away these incredible gardens. And had the Alchemist really killed their parents? If so, he was even more evil than Ari had feared. This was outrageous! He’d arrived just in time. Never before had Cypress been in such need of their prince.
“I’ll explain later,” said Raphael. “Hurry, he’s coming.”
Ari pushed down the anger boiling inside him and looked around. “I can’t see anyone.”
“Trust me. He’s close.”
After the short conversation they’d just had, Ari believed him. If this boy said the Alchemist was coming, then he most certainly was.
“You can see him later if you still need to,” said Raphael, racing down the gazebo steps, motioning for Ari to follow. “Come on, are you coming or not?”
Ari nodded. Oh yes, he most definitely was. This had been easier than he’d hoped. With any luck, he’d be back at the palace before his father even noticed he was missing. The last thing he needed would be for the King’s army to come chasing after him and making a fuss.
Just like Raphael who couldn’t wait to grow to his full height, Ari felt that sometimes he was yearning for the same thing—not to be taller for he was certainly tall enough, but for the opportunity to grow to his full potential, as ruler of Wintergreen. Only then, would he be able to do things his way.
He took off down the stairs, following this small boy who knew far more than he should.
RAPHAEL
THE NOW
Raphael ran beside the prince through the garden, until they reached the road, both of them puffing from the sudden burst of energy.
They paused to catch their breath and Raphael took a sidelong glance at his new tall and bearded friend. It’d been a shock to find him in the gazebo, looking so much like the vision he’d had of him when he’d called on his mother for help.
He hadn’t expected him to be a prince though. That’d been a surprise, even though the prince had pretended he was joking about that. As soon as he’d said it, Raphael had known it was true. It was hard to explain why. Sometimes he just knew things that he wasn’t supposed to. Just like when the prince had asked about the Alchemist’s wife, Raphael knew she was the real reason he was here. So, he’d urged him away, not wanting him to meet the Murderer just yet. Nothing good would come of that meeting. They weren’t supposed to meet yet.
“Is the house far away?” the prince asked, picking up the pace again, although at a walk this time.
Raphael shook his head. “Not far at all. He likes to be close to the apothecary. Lucky for that, as Jazz and I will be moving there soon.”
“Moving there?” The prince looked confused.
“The Murderer didn’t just take the apothecary, he wants to swap houses. He says it’s necessary for his work. When I said he’s taken everything from us, I really did mean everything.” Raphael kicked the ground to stop his tears coming out. He didn’t want to leave his home with memories of his parents embedded in the walls. Would he still be able to talk to his mother from a strange bed in a strange house?
“I’m sorry to hear that.” The prince shook his head and Raphael wondered if he got dizzy being so far off the ground.
They walked on down the road until a small house appeared on the horizon.
“That’s it,” said Raphael, pointing. “She’ll be in there. She’s always in there.”
“She doesn’t work at the apothecary, like the other women?” The prince seemed surprised.
“Nah, she doesn’t like to see people.”
“Why do you think she’s like that?” the prince asked.
“Dunno. I said I don’t know her.” Raphael shrugged, hoping to make his words more convincing.
“I don’t believe that,” said the prince, giving him a smile. “Just like you didn’t believe my name was Doctor Abner. I think you know a whole lot about everyone, even if you’ve never talked to them.”
Raphael drew in a breath and stepped away from the prince, wondering how he knew this. Did he see visions as well? Or was he just smart? Perhaps Raphael had just been hanging around sleepwalkers for too long and had forgotten what it was like to talk to a normal person.
“She’s sad,” Raphael said, carefully. Sometimes the feelings he got about people didn’t come out in words and it was hard to explain. “She wishes her life had turned out differently.”
The prince let out a small groan. “She’s not the only one.”
“You wish you had a different life?” Raphael asked. “But you’re a prince!”
“No, not me. I wish her life turned out differently too. If she is who I think she is, of course.”
“But who—”
“I thought the Alchemist would be able to cure her depression with an elixir,” said Ari, talking over his question, not seeming to want to hear what it was. “From what I’m told, he can cure everything.”
“He can’t cure stuff,” said Raphael. “He just causes stuff. Bad stuff.”
The prince nodded, fiddling with something around his neck.
“What’s that?” asked Raphael, walking on tip-toe as he craned his neck trying to see.
“A pendant.” The prince pulled it from his shirt and stooped down to show him. “A very special pendant.”
Raphael peered closer. The pendant was the shape of a tree, sliced down the middle, leaving only one half. That was odd. If he really was a prince, surely he could afford to buy a full tree.
“Where’s the other half?” Raphael asked.
“That’s what I’m trying to work out,” said the prince. “I’m wondering if maybe the Alchemist’s wife is wearing it. Have you seen it on her?”
Raphael shrugged. “I told you. She never comes outside. I don’t know what she wears.”
The prince tucked his pendant back in his shirt and they continued walking.
“Was she your wife once?” asked Raphael, although he was certain that she was far too old for that. The prince was closer to Jazz’s age than the Alchemist’s wife.
The prince laughed. “No, I’ve never been married.”
“Then who do you think she is? Your mother?” He was certain it was someone close to the prince.
“You mean there’s something you don’t know?” The prince grinned. “I can’t believe it.”
“I don’t know everything,” said Raphael, fairly sure that the prince was teasing him. “Just some things. I don’t get to choose what they are.”
“You’re an interesting boy, Raphael.”
“And so are you… Doctor Abner.”
The prince laughed. “All right. My name’s Ari.”
“As in Prince Ari of Wintergreen?” Raphael’s mouth dropped open. He’d just assumed he was a prince from one of the other kingdoms. Sometimes when he knew things, the details weren’t always clear.
“At your service.” Th
e prince paused his steps to bow, waving his hand with a flourish.
Raphael wondered if he was supposed to bow back. Wasn’t he supposed to be the one bowing at the prince and not the other way around? But the prince ruffled his hair and he decided it was easier just to continue walking on.
“So, who has the other pendant, Prince Ari?” he asked, determined not to let him avoid answering the question this time.
“You ask a lot of questions.” The prince smiled. “And call me Ari, please.”
“That’s only because I have a lot of questions.” Raphael kicked at a stone, annoyed that the prince was still avoiding answering him. He’d thought they were becoming friends.
“Nothing wrong with a curious mind,” said Ari, still not answering.
“You think the Alchemist’s wife is your sister, don’t you?” Raphael asked, piecing something together. “Princess Ana. The one who died.”
Ari’s face went from a dark caramel to the white of snow. He shook his head, although it was clear that Raphael had guessed correctly.
“I’m sorry,” said Raphael. “I shouldn’t have said anything. I didn’t mean to upset you.”
“You haven’t upset me,” he said, his face still white and his breathing rapid. “You, yourself just said that Princess Ana died, so how could I think it was her? You’re mistaken.”
Certain that he wasn’t, Raphael continued with caution. “Whenever people talk about the princess who died, I always get confused.”
“Confused?” Ari cleared his throat and glanced around. “What do you mean?”
Raphael paused as he tried to figure out how to explain something that didn’t make sense. “I don’t believe she’s dead. I dunno why I think that, so don’t bother asking.”
Ari winced, and Raphael bit his tongue. This was clearly a sore subject for him. And one he didn’t want to comment on.
“Did the Murderer steal your sister?” Raphael asked, deciding to be as direct as possible. Trying to be careful with his words wasn’t working.
Ari sighed and shook his head. “He certainly stole her heart. But whether he actually stole her, I’m not sure.”
The Kingdoms of Evernow Box Set Page 26