“What does that mean, sir?” asked Bran as he sat down at last.
Senecio chuckled. “First, do not call me ‘sir’. While I might have been alive for nearly nine hundred years, that moniker still makes me feel old as hell. Call me by my first name or by nothing at all.”
Mattie bit the smartass retort on the tip of her tongue when she asked, “And the second thing?”
“He’s not here to oversee your test,” said Senecio with a sad shake of his head. “And I’m not sure whether or not it needs adjusted because you are female.”
“What test?” growled Bran protectively.
The brown-haired man glanced over at Bran and then slyly smiled. “That’s right. You’re both from Belladonna’s brood. In that case, you could take the test with your cousin if you wish. Keep an eye on her in her father’s stead.”
“That’s not an answer,” growled Mattie as she crossed her arms. “Let me ask you the same and more—what test and why!?”
“It’s a tradition that fell to me after our elders decided to take sail over the sea,” said the man with a grin. “You see, elves believe adulthood begins in one’s sixteenth year. Part of the agreement with Roland was to require that each heir be tested at that age, to see if they truly have the mettle necessary to do the job.”
“Would my being able to attest that my cousin is as stubborn as hell be enough to fulfill that requirement?” growled Bran. “Because I do not feel comfortable with anything that could possibly bring her harm!”
“Thanks, overprotective one,” said Mattie with an eye roll. “But if the need to be tested was part of the treaty, then I cannot avoid it.”
Senecio leaned towards Bran and firmly said, “She’s right, young Brewer. If she does not perform the test, she cannot remain the heir of Crosshawk. And that would bring harm to more than just her.”
Bran released a low growl. “Fine, then—I’ll take it with her.”
“Idiot!” she said as she reached across and smacked him on the arm. “Neither one of us knows what it entails yet!”
“But you were already committed to doing it, dear cousin,” he snarled, not even bothering to rub at the new sore spot he surely had from her strike. “So I’m not the only idiot in this room.”
Senecio released a loud snort before he rose from the ground and headed towards a group of cabinets under the smallest window. “Even if we didn’t need to do this, you two have unexpectedly made my day.”
The fresh set of growls they made at him just caused him to incessantly chuckle while he dug out a pot. “Now, if you two promise to stay seated right where you are, I’m going to go fetch the water we need.”
Mattie’s brow furrowed. “Water?”
Senecio nodded as he held the pot close to his chest. “You see, young ones; the test isn’t about the strength of your body but of your will. I’ve got a special tea I need to brew.”
“I swear if you poison us,” growled Bran while more than one of the potted plants seemed to lean towards the elder man. “My shade will torment you for the rest of your long life.”
“Actually, if you get through this in one mental piece,” said Senecio after he took a glance at the table and made a noise of surprise. “I might be willing to teach you a thing or two, young Brewer. But for now, I swear the tea itself won’t bring either of you harm. The same, unfortunately, cannot be said of the test.”
***
“Interesting,” said a male voice that seemed to come from everywhere. “I didn’t realize you both had some unusual talents hidden within each of you. Appears I need to make some adjustments; hold on.”
Mattie growled, hoping that voice belonged to Senecio. The tea had tasted like a bitter molasses, making it hard to swallow down the whole cup as the man had instructed. Bran had fallen asleep before she had, making her fight the wave of unconsciousness tooth and nail. It had been a fruitless struggle in the end, and she had woken up in what seemed to be a never-ending nothingness of blue. The only other colors to be seen had been in the form of her red-haired cousin, who had quickly taken a step closer to her.
“I hope this isn’t the test,” admitted Bran while he nervously glanced around. “Because this emptiness is unnerving as hell!”
Then Mattie shrieked when a field of green rose up under her feet and almost knocked her over! A white tower stood at one end of the expanse while a short, rocky hill was found by the other. Bran made a noise of discomfort when the trembling ground beneath him caused him to jump aside as a gigantic ash tree decided to suddenly push itself up into existence.
Bran’s brow furrowed as he took a step forward and inspected the tree. “Isn’t this the one found in the back of your family’s estate?”
Mattie shrugged, her eyes on the tower far away. “It could be.”
Then the two of them whirled around when they heard a threatening growl coming from the outcropping! Knowing the many stories surrounding the small cave found within it, Mattie’s heart couldn’t help but rapidly increase its beat. A dark shadow began to issue forth from the hill, causing her to pull her cousin into a safer position behind the tree!
“What in the hell do you think that is?” whispered Bran as the shadow began to solidify.
“I have no idea,” admitted Mattie as the dark figure took on a female form.
Though still difficult to make out any distinctive features on the black-haired woman standing in front of the cave, it was obvious that she was twirling around in a gleeful manner. Mattie’s skin crawled when a triumphant laugh came from the unknown entity. It didn’t make her feel a damn bit better to see her cousin noticeably shiver at the sound.
Leaning forward to try to get a better look, Mattie placed her hand against the tree. Suddenly something inside her screamed that she had to get to the tower! She needed to protect it from this new enemy or else Crosshawk would be destroyed!
“Bran,” she hissed while grabbing his arm. “Hurry! We have to go!”
His eyes were wide with fear when he asked, “To where?”
Mattie pointed behind them. “The tower! We need to get there first!”
Though still frightened, he slyly grinned. “Which means slowing her down would help us, yes?”
“I thought that would go without saying!”
Bran placed his hand on the ground before taking a deep breath and bowing his head. Mattie nervously paced a small circle behind him before her jaw dropped! Gigantic thorn bushes were suddenly growing like mad, surrounding an unknown enemy who was madly shrieking about being stuck behind them!
Bran jumped up, grabbed Mattie’s hand, and said, “Run!”
There was no need to tell her twice! The two of them fled into the direction of the tower even as the horrific sound of branches being violently torn apart was reverberating through the air. Mattie risked a glance behind, her heart racing when she saw something much larger than a person ripping the natural barrier into little pieces.
Bran stated the obvious when he said, “That is no woman.”
“Save your breath and move your ass!” shouted Mattie, trying to increase her speed.
Thankfully, it seemed as if the tower had appeared right in front of them after she blinked. A monstrous roar came from the creature by the hill, causing Mattie to chew her bottom lip. What was she supposed to do now that she was here? Her eyes started to search the glowing stones before they fell on a very familiar symbol.
“It’s in the wrong place and seems almost too easy,” she mumbled to herself. “But it’s worth a shot.”
She started to search her person and then growled. Damn it! This wasn’t fair! In real life, she always had a weapon on her!
The ground began to quake, indicating that the gigantic creature was approaching. Only one idea seemed plausible, and she opened her mouth with every intention of biting the heel of palm. A growl left her lips when her cousin pulled her arm away.
“What in the hell are you doing!?” he demanded.
“There’s a blood ward I n
eed to activate, and this was the only way I could think of that would help me accomplish that!”
Bran kept a firm grip on her arm with one hand while nearly pulling her down with him as he placed the other on the ground. A much smaller bush than the others sprouted up right in front of him. He grimaced as he broke one of the sharp thorns off and handed it to her.
“Ask for help next time before you needlessly hurt yourself!” he growled as he released her.
She nodded before swiftly pricking her finger with the thorn. Hissing from the pain caused by stabbing herself with a little too much vigor, she bent over and smeared her blood over the picture of a two-headed hawk. Then the world seemed to pause when she intoned the word commanding the tower to protect them: Contegere!
A shriek of pain came from a distance as the Watchtower’s wards roared to life and issued forth a blinding light! Then Mattie turned to face the enemy and screamed, “I don’t know who or what you are, but get your ass out of Crosshawk! Leave my people the hell alone!”
The answer to that was for her eyes to suddenly open and fall on a smug-looking man who had a vial of smelling salt under her nose. She batted his hand away, causing him to chuckle. Bran’s awakening must not have been any less unnerving because he was standing as far away from Senecio as he could.
“If it wasn’t obvious by now, you both passed,” he said merrily.
Bran crossed his arms and grumbled, “After this, I’m not sure I want to learn a damn thing from you.”
The responding grin made even Mattie shiver. “Considering what you instinctively wanted to do with your powers, you will. When you’re ready, I’ll be here.”
“And me?” demanded Mattie as she glared at the Potenti. “What in the hell did you learn about me!?”
His expression softened before he bowed his head respectfully. “That you care a great deal about your people, willing to risk yourself for their safety. A very common trait found in all of Roland’s true heirs. It shall be an honor to call you Our Lady Duchess one day.”
Though relieved at that news, Mattie smirked and said the one thing that actually caused Senecio to laugh, long and joyously:
“But for now, call me by my first name or by nothing at all.”
Timeline
November 19th — Dougal/Mikhail’s Birthday
November 20th — Camp upheaval
November 21st — Arrive Crosshawk
November 25th — Mattie’s Birthday
November 27th — Watchtower
November 28th — Dragon flight
November 30th — Garin leaves with Esus
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
J. L. Shelton’s love for reading was born when her mother gave her a copy of J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit. The desire to write her own stories followed soon thereafter. She currently resides in Ohio with her husband and their two cats.
Author’s website: http://thechildrenofthestone.com
Unraveled Homecoming Page 42