Bricrui (The Forgotten: Book 2) (20 page)

CHAPTER 11

Lorcan cracked open the book after peering
around to make sure that no one was looking towards his hiding
spot. He had been reading it in short bursts whenever he could
sneak away for a few moments and had already learned more than they
had ever been taught about their tribe’s history.

Some of the information was irrelevant to
their current situation, but he had recently started a passage
about stones which he thought might be useful given that Katya had
been sent after a particular stone. He was soon engrossed in the
material and before he realized it, the sun was beginning to fade
into the trees. He hopped quickly down from the secret spot,
stashing the book carefully away, and made a bee-line for Raina’s
house.

“Raina?” he whispered outside her window. A
moment later, her face appeared.

“Just a minute,” she said, disappearing back
into the room. A short time later she reappeared, slipping out the
window. She took his hand and they slunk around the side of her
house to talk in the shadows. “What did you find out?”

“The book says that when our ancestors left
the Lost Lands, fleeing from the Dark King, they formed a pact with
each other, calling themselves The Forgotten. They created a stone
with the power of every mage who had escaped in order to tame the
chaotic magic enough to live up here and to create spells which
would keep the Lost Ones from finding us. After the spell was
complete, it was decided that the stone was too powerful and too
dangerous for any one person to be able to control. There were
already differences of opinion on where we should settle. Many
wanted to remain in the forest here because it was close to their
homes, even though they knew they could never go back, since it was
comforting to them. Others were attracted to the open air of the
plains, others the promise of water to the west, and still others
to the mystery of the unknown to the north. So, it was decided that
the stone would be split into five parts, with each of the sections
being safe-guarded by the leader of each of the factions. Then,
they all went their separate directions, becoming the different
tribes of The Forgotten as we are today. There was something else
too, but it didn’t explain what, that made it important to have the
stone separated.”

“Are these stones still around?” Raina
asked.

“I don’t know. The book seemed to imply that
they were and it would explain a lot, like why the other tribes
needed to come for this spell and brought stones with them.”

“So they brought these powerstones?”

“I don’t think so. At least, not exactly. I
think the powerstones have to stay in a special place that was
created for them or else they cannot protect the tribe, but the
stones that they brought probably held the essence of power from
each which when combined makes the spell they perform that much
more powerful.”

“So if Katya brings back the stone the Elders
want, it would expose the Dena’ina to the dangers of the chaotic
magic?”

Lorcan fought hard against the hatred that
welled up within him. After what they had done to his parents, he
found it hard to have any sympathy for their plight. “Maybe they
don’t deserve the protection of the stone any more if they are
attacking other tribes,” he said more vehemently than intended.

Raina stared at him for a long moment, her
eyes reflecting the magelights that lined the walkways. “It was
only a small number of people that killed your parents,” she said
softly, “and it was a long time ago. Is your anger not similar to
the Elders grudge against the Dark King?”

“My parents were killed by people who are
still alive because of how the tribe feels about the other tribes.
I’m not mad at their children’s children.”

“Okay,” Raina held up her hands in surrender.
“So the Elders want to steal the stone so that the Dena’ina become
vulnerable?”

“I don’t think so,” Lorcan shook his head,
“at least that’s not the primary purpose. If all five of the stones
that made up the original powerstone are used for a spell, it will
make that spell completely unbreakable. I’ve heard the Elders
worrying that the spell they set on the baby – the Princess – would
be found and broken. They seem to think that after Katya returns
with this other stone, that that would no longer be an issue. I
think that’s why they want her to do it.”

Raina sucked in her breath. “So the Lost Ones
would be unable to do anything about whatever the curse is that was
placed upon the baby once the essences of all five stones have been
used to strengthen it?”

“And we still don’t know what that is,”
Lorcan added. “I also think that they’re going to kill Katya and
Hunter once she returns with the stone. She knows too much and I
just don’t see Kali letting her go back to the Lost Ones with so
much knowledge.”

“The life of one woman hardly matters,” Raina
said in a strange tone, a shadow passing over her face. “Why should
we worry about her?”

“Because she’s a person,” Lorcan countered,
surprised by Raina’s lack of concern over Katya’s well-being.
Usually she was the one to remind him about the humanity of others.
Her jealously completely eluded him. He changed the subject. “Have
you found anything out?”

“I’ve been trying to pry information out of
my parents, but they’re being pretty tight-lipped. The impression
that I got was that the Elders call groups of people in to let them
know about certain situations, and that they are told not to talk
about it with anyone else. I would guess that that’s how she’s
keeping everyone in the dark.” Their little band had decided that
Kali was the ring-leader of the conspiracy – not surprising as she
was the leader of the Elders – and that it was she who was
controlling the information. “From how my parents spoke about it,
I’d guess that she makes them feel special that they’ve been
allowed in on a secret. That keeps them from discussing it with
others and therefore they don’t have any questions about what she
hasn’t told them.”

“Would they tell you anything about the
incident?”

“No,” Raina said, “but they were pretty
agitated about it and seemed to hold the Dena’ina in contempt, so I
would guess that they know what really happened to your parents and
the others. I don’t know why they are keeping it a secret though.
If one of the tribes is effectively declaring war on the others,
shouldn’t we all know about it?”

“I don’t know,” Lorcan said distractedly.
“Maybe they don’t want us to lose our focus on hating the Lost Ones
by being distracted hating another tribe.”

“I think people
are
starting to
question the validity of hating the Lost Ones,” Raina said. “Even
though I’m pretty sure the Elders tried to cover it up, there were
enough people who heard the stories the strangers told that rumors
have been spreading like wildfire. Apparently Gareth kept asking
all sorts of questions which revealed that the Lost Ones’ Queen
actually hosted the essences of the Three from the Kiani Stones. I
overheard my parents talking to one another last night about what
the girl had said. They seemed to think that the Queen of the Lost
Ones might not be so bad after all, that the gods had seen fit to
communicate with her so she couldn’t be that bad. They seemed
almost scared to be saying something good about her, though, even
just in front of one another.”

Though the tribes had lost contact with the
Kiani Stones when they migrated north, they were a part of their
history that was still passed down. The dragon gods had spoken to
the ancients through these stones and they were most sacred. The
people of the Lost Lands had forgotten the Stones’ existences, but
the tribes remembered their significance, if not where they were.
If it was true that the Stones had been found and that they were
communicating with the Lost Ones, the tribes might very well
rethink their hatred for them. The tribes were taught that the Lost
Ones weren’t even people, that the gods had forsaken them in their
evil. This proof otherwise would rock the very foundation of their
beliefs.

“I’m surprised that Gareth was allowed down
there,” Lorcan stated. Gareth had been in the community house ever
since he could remember and everyone knew he was just a crotchety
old man. Usually the Elders kept him neatly away from all their
dealings.

“That’s just it,” Raina said excitedly,
“Apparently before something happened that made Gareth ‘go mad’, he
was actually the head of the Elders himself. He’s a direct
descendant of Shelia Greyclaw and he was well-respected once.
That’s why everyone puts up with him being so mean.”

Lorcan’s mind whirled. “That means he could
tell us what’s really going on!” he exclaimed. “He could tell me
exactly what happened with my parents and if the stone is still
around, and everything!”

“Why didn’t he tell you already?”

Lorcan’s expression turned dark. “Same reason
as everyone else lied to me I guess, but he
will
tell me
now.”

“I don’t think that everyone lied,” Raina
interjected. “From what I’ve learned from my parents and what the
other kids have said, it sounds like a lot of people just don’t
have any idea what’s going on. They really believe that the child
was cured of some sickness and that we did some favor for the Lost
Ones so that the baby could usher in a new era of light for them
and one day they might regain their humanity and we might
reunite.”

A light flicked on in the front of Raina’s
house and sounds came from inside.

“I have to go,” Raina whispered quickly and
gave him a quick kiss before slipping back in through her window
moments before the light to her room suddenly glowed to life.

Lorcan heard her mother’s voice as he crept
away, letting Raina know they were back. She had gotten in just in
time.

He made his way towards the prison section,
intent on finding out what Gareth knew. As he passed through the
Second Circle, however, he was intercepted by Slade.

“What are you doing?” he demanded.

“Nothing,” Lorcan said, shaking his arm out
of his brother’s grasp.

Slade raised a warning eyebrow at him. “I
know you’ve been creating some sort of group with the other
children and creating disturbances. So don’t give me
‘nothing’.”

“Nothing that’s any of your business,” Lorcan
amended. “You’re not my father.”

Slade looked taken aback. “I’m as close as
you have anymore,” he said softly.

“And yet you still lied to me, gee thanks,”
Lorcan spat sarcastically.

The pained look on his brother’s face told
him he had hit a nerve.
Good
.

“How could you have let me believe a lie
about how our parents died?” he asked, his voice cracking. “Don’t
you think that’s something that would have been important to tell
me? Don’t I deserve to know how my
mother
and my
father
died? You LIED to me. Didn’t just keep it a secret,
but flat-out came up with another story and lied to my face.”

“Kali told me not to tell you,” Slade said
lamely.

“Well that’s nice,” Lorcan said, “Good to
know that your loyalty is to a lying manipulative woman rather than
to your family! Kali’s been lying to everyone in the tribe. She’s
probably lying to you too! The baby wasn’t cured of any ailment,
you know. Do you know what they really did? They put a curse on it,
something to try to rid the world of the taint of the Dark King. Do
they realize he’s been gone for hundreds of years now?” Lorcan was
getting hysterical and realized that he was fairly shouting. For
once, his brother did not scold him for it.

“I know,” he said softly instead.

“You know?” Lorcan asked incredulously. “What
do you know?”

“I know that the purpose of the spell isn’t
to aid the child.”

“Do you know what it is for?” Lorcan asked,
his anger dulled slightly by curiosity.

“I do,” Slade acknowledged with a nod,
looking uncomfortable.

“Well, what is it?”

“If I tell you, you can’t tell anyone,” Slade
pleaded. “I don’t want to lie to you. You’re right, we’re family -
but you have to keep this a secret.”

“Are you kidding me?” Lorcan asked,
disgusted. “You want me to lie to the rest of the tribe for Kali
too?”

“They wouldn’t understand,” Slade said, “Kali
says that in order to bring the Lost Ones back to the light, the
last of the Dark King’s line must be wiped out. It’s for the
greater good. And it doesn’t really hurt anyone. Telling the tribe
that we are helping the child is true. We are helping her to spread
the light to her people. We may be keeping the method from them,
but the end goal is what everyone wants. The curse will bring about
a cleansing of the Dark King’s last influence on our world.”

“How?” Lorcan insisted.

Slade slumped his shoulders in defeat. “The
curse works like a disease, spreading from the child to those she
comes in contact with, and from them to others.”

Lorcan waited impatiently. “To do what?”

“It detects any trace of the Dark King’s
blood, and if it finds any, it renders that person sterile.”

“What?” Loran was horrified.

“So you see, it’s not really hurting people,
it’s just making it so that the Dark King’s blood is completely
eradicated. The next generation will be able to live in a world
free from his evil.”

“That’s not right,” Lorcan said, hardly
believing what he had just heard. “Can’t you see how Kali is
manipulating you? Making you think that you are doing something
good by doing something so completely wrong? How would you like to
be sterilized because someone didn’t like our great-great-great
grandfather? Really, Slade? I thought you were smarter than
that.”

“Kali says-” Slade started, but Lorcan cut
him off, shoving by him.

“Kali is the evil one, Slade. You really need
to think about what you are doing for her.” He stalked off, not
bothering to look back at his brother.