by K.L. Bauman
Chapter 11
The Secret Place
Echo didn’t remember running away from the lilac bushes or through the edge of the village. She didn’t remember Shimmer racing to her, sensing Echo’s panic. She was just suddenly astride her horse, blindly racing across the earth toward Thildin. The horrific scene played over and over in her mind and she screamed into the wind, releasing her own terror. Shimmer increased speed at Echo’s cry.
Earth flew up and around their bodies as Shimmer came to a lurching stop in front of Echo’s home. Her body felt like lead as she slid from Shimmer’s back and forced herself to run into the house. Everyone was standing around the kitchen table. Everyone except Brecker. They all turned surprised faces toward Echo as she flung open the door.
She had expected to blurt out what had happened, allowing the words to flow like a raging river from her tongue. But at seeing her family’s faces, the words caught in her throat and threatened to choke her.
Kiani was first to speak, “Where is your brother? You go and tell him to get back here now! He is not allowed to turn his back on us and neglect his chores all day!”
Echo just stood there, shaking. Her knees began to buckle. How could she tell them that their only son was now a slave to a doon--and that it was her fault?
Oran was the first to notice something wrong. In two large strides, he was in front of Echo. His gentle hands pressed against her shoulders and he looked worriedly into her eyes. “What’s happened, Echo? Are you alright?”
Tears pooled in Echo’s eyes and streamed down her cheeks. Kiani’s expression changed from anger to worry as she raced over to them. Mari stayed near the table, her face tight and pale.
Echo had to mentally command words to leave her mouth. “I-It’s Brecker.” She got that much out, then fell to her knees and sobbed. Oran knelt down with her and hugged her. Kiani gasped and held her hands over her mouth. Echo knew her mother was thinking her son was dead. Echo felt like it’d be easier to tell them he was dead, but she forced herself to tell the truth.
After struggling through the entire ordeal, she finished by shouting, “It’s all my fault! I never should’ve let him go! I fought with him, and then I didn’t try to help him--I just sat there and watched it all happen!” Echo broke down completely then, feeling the pain through her body until it throbbed in her fingertips. She cried harder than she ever had in her life. Her dad held her tightly.
“Shhh. It’s not your fault, Echo. It’s not your fault.” He rocked back and forth, as if rocking a small child. Echo kept her face buried in his chest, wanting nothing more than to remain in his strong, reassuring arms. She heard her mother sob, and felt her soft hand on hers, but she didn’t look up.
When finally she hiccupped an ending to her tears, Oran turned to Mari. Through her swollen eyelids, Echo could see that her sister had been crying, too. Her face was as white as a ghost’s. “Mari, can you find Dorian? We need his help.”
Mari nodded vigorously then raced out of the house. The three remaining family members rose shakily to their feet. Oran looked to Kiani. He squeezed her hand as more tears streamed down her cheeks. “Kiani, some tea, please.” Kiani nodded and set herself to the task. Echo admired her dad’s insight. He understood his wife could handle things better if she kept busy.
Oran looked directly into Echo’s eyes and wiped her tears with his large thumbs. “None of what’s happened is your fault. I want you to remember that, okay? If anything, I am to blame for being so hard on him.” His eyes were sad, and Echo could feel the heaviness of his heart. She began to speak, to tell him it wasn’t his fault either, but he raised a finger to her lips before she could utter a word. “Brecker made his own choice. We have to try to accept that. What is needed now is to find him and to find a way to break that spell.”
Echo nodded, not really feeling anything anymore. Her mind and body were numb with shock and fatigue. She watched her dad hold her mother and they whispered things to each other she couldn’t hear. She didn’t want to move. She didn’t want to think. She just wanted to wake up from this nightmare.
Echo wasn’t certain how long it’d been since Mari had left, but it seemed like an eternity. She’d somehow managed to walk to the kitchen and help her mother set out cups, tea leaves, and small elvish cakes. Normally, Echo would’ve scarfed down several of the delicious cakes that her mother had become an expert at making. But her appetite had fled.
Kiani set a steaming kettle in the center of the table and then sat. Echo wasn’t sure what to do or say. She and her mom didn’t spend a lot of time together and, with Echo feeling guilty about what had happened, she wasn’t sure how her mother would react. Surprisingly, Kiani placed a gentle hand over Echo’s. She couldn’t get herself to look up into her mother’s tortured eyes. “Mom, I’m so sorry,” she said and a fresh set of tears streamed down her cheeks.
Kiani hugged her hard--something she hadn’t experienced from her mother in years. As they pulled apart, Echo wiped her tears as her mother spoke, “Echo,” she said, her voice soft and slightly shaking, “I understand what you’re going through. It isn’t easy, and it hurts so bad you feel like your heart is going to explode.”
Kiani attempted a weak chuckle at Echo’s baffled expression, but then sighed. “Echo, I haven’t been completely honest with you and your siblings.” She wrapped the end of a dish cloth around her index finger as she spoke. “You see, your uncle wasn’t the only one in my family who trained as a defender.” She shifted uneasily in her seat as Echo’s interest piqued. “I was also a defender.”
Echo’s mouth dropped. “Mom, you? Why didn’t you tell us before?” Echo asked, though she could’ve guessed the reason.
“You have to understand, I watched my brother die,” she said as new tears sprung into her eyes. “Much like you watched what happened to Brecker today. We are fortunate that he’s still alive and that you were there to witness it. Otherwise, we would have never known what happened to him.”
Although her mother’s words were of little comfort, Echo’s curiosity was piqued. “What happened with you and your brother?”
Kiani rubbed her eyes. She continued to strangle the dish cloth as she spoke. “We were so young, too young to take on sorcerers. Your uncle was hot headed, like Brecker. He was passionate about protecting his family and talked me into chasing this sorcerer with him. We found the sorcerer and engaged in battle.” Kiani bit her lip and closed her eyes as if the scene from her past played inside the lids of her eyes. Echo sat in morbid curiosity, wanting to learn the rest of the story.
Kiani opened her eyes and continued. “To make a long and miserable story short, I froze. The sorcerer was much more powerful than we’d expected. I was so afraid, and I lost my senses and my focus. I just stood there and watched him kill my brother.” She paused as she choked back a sob. Echo’s heart went out to her mother. She understood completely how her mother must’ve felt.
“I ran away. I don’t even really remember running or coming to the village or telling our parents. But I swore off defending after that. Now you also know why I was so adamant about you two not defending.”
“I’m sorry, Mom. I promise, I won’t train anymore. I won’t defend,” Echo said. She was certain it’d always been a mistake--she wasn’t cut out to be a defender. She was a total failure at it.
Her mother gripped her wrist so hard, Echo yelped. Kiani’s eyes looked into hers desperately. “Echo, I was wrong! You mustn’t give up now. With your training and skills, you may be able to help Brecker. Don’t give this up. Not when it’s needed the most. Don’t fail your brother like I failed mine!”
Echo gulped. She’d never seen her mother so intense. “What do you mean? I’ve already failed him.”
“No, you haven’t. I should’ve gotten help and caught that sorcerer. If I would’ve caught and destroyed him soon enough, all he’d done would’ve been undone. Echo, your uncle could’ve
lived! Instead, the sorcerer was allowed to escape, and his death curse became permanent. I became so desperate from my failure, I even thought about seeking the Fate in the Dragon’s Tooth to change your uncle’s lot. That would’ve been worse than his death, though, I think,” she said half to herself.
Echo’s brain couldn’t handle much more. She saw her mother as a totally different person. She wasn’t just an obsessive neat freak who hated defenders. She was someone who’d once been terribly broken; someone like her.
Echo hugged her mother and choked out the words, “I love you, Mom.”
“I love you, too.”
When they parted, Echo couldn’t help asking, “So what ever happened to that sorcerer?”
“Well,” Kiani answered as she wiped her tears with the dish cloth, “a married couple, defenders, finally caught up with him. The husband was an elf from Andor, Thildin’s sister city.”
Echo was intrigued. An elf from Andor! She knew Andor was considered a “sister” city to Thildin, but Andor was at least five times as large. Echo had often longed to visit the larger city.
“Was his wife an elf, too?” she couldn’t help asking.
“I think she was human. Maybe even from the Other World, like your dad. Sad thing, though, when they fought that sorcerer, she broke his staff and was blinded.”
Echo felt sad for the human defender that sacrificed so much for Shae Vale. Then a thought struck her. “Was she able to see after the sorcerer died, then? I mean, if all that he’d done was undone at his death, she should’ve gotten her sight back, right?”
“Sadly, no. The damage wasn’t done by a curse from the sorcerer. It was a burst of powerful magic released from his staff. The damage was irreversible. Plus, he didn’t die that day, either. He escaped. He’s still out there somewhere.” Kiani gave a small shiver.
Echo wanted to ask more questions. Her mother’s story was a welcome distraction from her own tortured thoughts and emotions. However, at that moment, the front door swung open and Oran, Mari, and Dorian entered. Echo felt ashamed all over again at seeing her instructor. She’d failed him, too.
More bodies appeared. Two elders, a she-elf that Echo knew to be a seer, Thalen, and Alena filed into the kitchen. Echo suddenly felt like she was on trial as all eyes rested on her.
Dorian took two graceful strides to her and placed a hand on Echo’s shoulder. She slowly rose from her chair and returned the gesture. As their hands lowered, Dorian spoke. “Echo, I am sorry for your experience. And I am sorry to have to ask this of you, but you must re-live it one more time. Spare no detail in telling it to us so that we may know exactly what has taken place and what action we must take.”
Echo felt her insides quaver. She didn’t want to try to remember details and, even more, she didn’t want to have to tell them to anyone. Her mother squeezed her arm for assurance and her dad and sister came and stood beside her, giving support that Echo felt she didn’t deserve.
She took a deep breath, attempting to calm herself and focus her mind on what she had to tell. But before she could begin, the door opened one more time, allowing Keebo and Jiggers to enter. Echo stared at Keebo, shocked but somehow grateful at his presence. He stared back at her and, with just a look, somehow gave her the strength to begin her story.
Echo relived each horrid detail from her and Brecker’s sparring, to their fight, to her following him to Ulway. She faltered when she came to the handshake as the horrid image and the echo of her brother’s scream filled her mind. She finished in a rush, eager to be done before she lost control of her emotions completely. The faces of the people around her were grim, concerned.
The elders looked to one another and to Dorian. They seemed to understand each other without words as they made a circle around the seer. Thalen and Alena joined them and the seer closed her eyes. A low humming sound seemed to emanate from the room, pulsating strangely. Echo watched, absorbed in a ritual she’d only heard about until now--something that was usually forbidden to outsiders. She felt a hand on hers and jumped. Dorian had broken the circle and was joining with her right hand. On her left, an elder grasped her other hand.
Echo gasped as a powerful wave of energy streamed through her. She could sense everyone in the circle so clearly, as if she were connected to their minds. Images of the doon suddenly appeared before her, causing her to scream. Dorian’s soft voice reassured her, “Do not be afraid; it is only in your mind. He cannot reach you here.”
Echo continued to stare at the illusion as hundreds of shadows formed around the doon. Then, a great winged creature burst forward, its wings stretched out in a red silhouette. And then, it was gone. Everything vanished and the energy Echo had felt moments before trickled away.
The seer opened her eyes. “I am sorry. Nothing more will reveal itself.”
“Did you see Brecker? Is he safe?” Kiani asked. Echo was grateful that her mother hadn’t seen what she had. She wondered what it all had meant.
“We are uncertain,” Dorian spoke. He nodded to the elders and the seer and they left. “We need to search the villages. Alena, could you please search at Auri? And Thalen, search Silmah. But,” Dorian raised a hand, keeping the younger elves from leaving, “be cautious. The villagers are already uncertain of us. Let us not give foundation to their concerns.” Thalen and Alena nodded and then left silently.
“Oran, please accompany me to Ulway. We will search for your son there. Mari,” Dorian looked tenderly at Echo’s sister, “Go to the library in Thildin. Begin to research anything you can find on doons and their curses. Perhaps there is a counter-curse that would be useful.”
Mari beamed a smile at Dorian, seemingly pleased to be able to help. Kiani spoke, “I’ll begin preparing a meal. Everyone will be famished by the end of the day.” She turned to the kitchen and began organizing foods and cookware.
Dorian turned to Keebo and Jiggers. “You must return to your shop. Learn anything you can from the villagers that enter and, Keebo, please send the word along, will you?”
Keebo gave Dorian a nod, looked at Echo for a moment, then followed his dad out the door.
“What about me?” Echo asked.
“You require rest, my friend. Stay here for now. We will call on you later.”
Echo tried to sleep. She tossed and turned while images of Brecker and Belzac haunted her mind. She cried again. She wiped her tears again. She paced around her room, looking past the papers cluttering her floor. Then, the drawing of her secret place caught her attention. It’d been weeks since she’d promised herself to go there. Now, she felt drawn to it. If she could find rest anywhere, it would be there.
After assuring her mother she’d be careful as she went for a walk, Echo strapped her daggers to her back and headed toward the river. It wasn’t long until she found herself running, expending all the pent up negative energy from the day’s ordeals. She reached a thick hedge of wild brush and stopped. As she caught her breath, she walked along the bushes, looking for the small opening that led to her hide-away. It’d been awhile, so she was afraid she might not find it. But, there it was, just as she’d remembered.
A triangle of leaves formed around a small hole. The opening looked only big enough to allow a small animal entrance, but Echo knew better. She got on all fours and poked her head through the space. The branches of the shrubs seemed to open up to her as her body squeezed through easily. Soon, she was able to stand again as she reached the opposite side of the bushes. She gazed around and smiled.
Nothing had changed. A trickling stream from the river poured over natural stone steps into a small pond. Lush greenery and flowers bordered the still, reflective water, guarding the pond from the outside world. Willows dipped their fingers in the pond, causing ripples where dragon flies and pixies buzzed happily over the water’s surface. Flowers sent out a sweet array of fragrances as bees bobbed in and out of their blossoms. The serenity of the place wrap
ped around Echo like a favorite old blanket. She wasn’t surprised when Shimmer appeared via another hidden opening near the stream. The horse perked her ears in Echo’s direction and nickered softly.
Echo walked around the pond and hugged Shimmer, apologizing for earlier. She’d left the poor horse in a panicked state when she’d run into the house. “I’m sorry, Shimmer. I’m so glad you were there to help me. I would never have made it home without you.” Shimmer nickered again and gently rubbed Echo’s body with her head. She was forgiven. Echo didn’t want to even think of what it would’ve been like to have had to walk home after the experience with Brecker. She was more grateful to her horse than she could ever say.
Shimmer seemed to understand Echo’s need and lay down next to the water near Echo’s favorite tree. Maybe it was the fact that the tree was the only imperfect one there that caused her to be drawn to it. An old, dark, gnarled trunk twisted upward, supporting a strange congregation of branches. Dead, twisted twigs, that held a morbid beauty of their own, mingled with younger braches that carried contrastingly fresh, green leaves; other soft branches cascaded toward the ground, their foliage glowing gold in the sun as if they produced their own light. The leaves fluttered softly, whispering with the wind.
One thick limb had broken, either from age or some ill weather. The tip of it touched the soil, forming a tent of branches and dried leaves. At the base of the trunk, young shoots curled around the old tree and broken limb as if to support and protect them. Leaves littered the ground beneath, making an inviting resting place.
Shimmer nickered softly and Echo smiled and sat down , leaning into the horse’s warm, silky body. Shimmer’s side rose and fell as she breathed rhythmically, rocking Echo softly. Within seconds, she was sound asleep.
The sun was low when Echo opened her eyes. The elves were just beginning to sing the sun to set. Echo and Shimmer remained as they were as the birds, insects, and even the wind died down to the haunting beauty of the elvish song. Their unearthly voices carried magically through the air, bringing peace, comfort, and contentment to everyone and everything their voices touched like a sweet, whispering lullaby. Echo lost herself in beautiful images of winged horses soaring in a quiet sky.
The last edge of the sun descended behind the horizon, leaving behind an array of vibrant colors. The elf song ceased. Everything was momentarily so quiet that the silence buzzed in Echo’s ears. Then, the birds and the crickets and the frogs resumed their noise. It was somehow much more peaceful than it had been before the elves had sung.
Even though it was getting late, Echo was reluctant to rise and head for home. She wished she could stay in this moment forever--away from dark times and dark beings. However, with the sun behind the horizon, she would soon be in complete darkness, even here. That thought caused her to stand abruptly. Shimmer groaned and stood, too, shaking her coat and snorting.
She’d been so lost in her thoughts, Echo hadn’t noticed that a mist had rolled in from the river, cascading toward her and Shimmer over the pond. I’d better get going. Mom will worry. Even as she thought those words, the hairs on her arms prickled as if sensing someone or something lurking nearby
Echo reached to her back and drew a dagger, releasing a slight whisper of steal against leather. Panic crept into her chest as her eyes scanned the area, and her ears strained to catch any unusual sounds. Shimmer stood so close that the heat of her body seeped through Echo’s clothes, reminding her she wasn’t alone. She kept her free hand on the horse’s side. If nothing else, Shimmer could get them both out of there in a hurry.
The mist moved strangely, almost purposefully toward her. Echo’s heart pounded as she shakily held her dagger toward the unnatural fog. “Who’s there?” she asked, her voice sounding much braver than she felt. No one answered, but Echo was certain someone was there. “Keebo? This is no time for jokes!” she stated loudly. But she somehow knew whoever lurked in the mist was not her friend.
She suddenly had the urge to reach out and touch the mist. She had to make sure it was just vapor and nothing more. Keeping her blade forward, she stretched out her other hand into the fog. Cool droplets of water caressed her skin. Shimmer snorted nervously when Echo gasped and suddenly withdrew her hand. She’d felt something solid!
Echo mentally forced herself to breath, but her feet refused to obey her command to run. She watched as the mist formed a pair of silvery eyes. Slowly, a ghostly blue, rippling form of a face materialized as a hand, its skin the same blue, reached toward her.
Echo’s scream caught in her throat. She swallowed hard, and then watched, mesmerized, as the form of a man came into focus. The transparent skin slowly solidified, becoming more like her own. It was like watching a watercolor painting washed by the rain--in reverse. Combinations of colors, hues, and shades all blended together, then slowly separated, creating a unique, detailed picture. Spiked hair formed atop a head as the wet strands stuck together. A rugged but boyishly handsome face took form and stared back at her. Echo knew this face. Those eyes that carried the mist, the full lips, the hint of stubble over his upper lip and along his smooth jaw line--every detail was exactly as she’d dreamed.
The man’s body was covered with a deep violet satin cloak--the same cloak Echo had seen in Ulway before they’d been distracted by Moodey’s speech. The material shimmered and Echo realized it was soaked with water. Bare feet stuck out below the hem of the cloak. Echo slowly lowered her blade as the figure continued to reach toward her. She felt a strange need to go to him. The man opened his palm, releasing an unusual energy carried on a smooth ribbon of mist. The ribbon stretched out and coiled around Echo’s arm as she raised it toward what she knew was a water wraith. Strangely, that knowledge didn’t bother her at that moment.
The mist caressed her body, drawing her closer to the figure. The scent of chocolate covered strawberries reached her nostrils, drawing her deeper into the spell. Romantic images filled her mind and calming music played in her ears. She dropped her dagger as Shimmer’s frantic whinny sounded muffled and far away. The figure gave her a crooked smile, revealing a dimple above the corner of his mouth. The backs of Echo’s knees tickled and she caught herself smiling goofily at the man. The wraith gazed into her eyes, but made no further movements. Time and breath stood still. Only the mist moved, continuing its curious dance around their arms and bodies.
Echo was strangely disappointed as the wraith lowered his arm, breaking the connection. She shook her head as fear returned in full at the breaking of the spell. She glanced back to where she’d dropped her dagger. Returning her attention to the man, she slowly reached back for the other one.
The water wraith seemed to struggle with himself. He placed his palms on either side of his head, leaned over and growled as if in pain. Echo took the opportunity to step back and draw her dagger as Shimmer came to her side.
The wraith growled again, clenching his jaw and squeezing his head. Echo tensed as a million lessons raced through her mind of how to defend herself. Heat. I need fire! But she was ill-prepared for this encounter. She had nothing with which to start a fire and fend off the wraith.
Surprisingly, the figure did not try to move toward her. Instead, he looked up to her, forcing his clenched fists away from his face. His eyes were sad, pained. He reached toward her again as his eerie but familiar whisper erupted goose bumps over Echo’s entire body. “Help me!”