Embrace (11 page)

“Oh. Okay,” said Colin, again. “Kind of makes sense when you think about it.” Magicante then had Colin practice various spells, thinking them rather than speaking them. Colin was sure to use Abdo in order to hide the fact that he was doing magic. He took a stack of rocks and set in to hurling them deeper into the cave.

“I did not think you’d have a problem with this bit of magic,” said the cranky voice of the book, after seeing Colin succeed easily. “But I decided it was time for you to know it! One of those little secrets apparently lost in magical teaching today.”

“Any other helpful hints?” asked Colin.

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“That is all for tonight.” The book then slammed itself shut and set into a soft snore.

Colin decided it was time to do the same. He wanted to get an early start. Bird nestled into a crevice and curled its beak underneath its feathers. Colin dozed off and then woke with a start. He glanced around, but there was nothing there, except for Bird, sleeping soundly.

Colin shook it off, glad of Jae’s magic tunic. The air was chilly, but he was not cold at all.

Before long, he was sleeping again.

A few hours later, in the middle of the night, Bird then awoke with a start. Something was approaching the cave. He left the sleeping Colin and flew outside to have a look. The valley was empty as far as Bird could see, with the exception of an approaching Catawitch.

Bird transformed into human form. There were no Goblins nearby and Colin was sleeping soundly inside.

“Nona,” a male voice spoke. “What are you doing here? Why aren’t you with Meghan?”

“Well hello to you, too. Bird is it now?” She laughed a girlish cat laugh.

“Very funny. Like I could tell him my name. Now back to my question.”

“Meghan asked me to stay behind and watch Colin. She became afraid to leave him. Little did I know he had his own little journey planned,” she answered in her cat voice.

“I’ve got Colin’s back. You should catch up with Meghan.”

“I do wish greatly to be at her side, but how would I explain. No. I will stay and do as she asked.”

Bird nodded.

“Do you want to come into the cave then?”

“There’s a few hours left until morning. I am going to hunt for some food and then snoop around. I’ll be following you tomorrow.”

“Be safe then, Nona.”

Bird transformed back and took flight, landing next to the still soundly sleeping Colin.

12

Light filtered its way into the cave. Colin opened his eyes, not believing he had slept so well. He jumped up and packed his shoulder bag.

“Better get moving,” said Colin.

Bird followed overhead as Colin stepped out into the daylight, extracting the map. His path had changed directions. He realized that the rock formations he was looking at were not the same as the previous night.

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“What a map!” he said admiringly. “When this is all over, I need to do something really nice for Corny. But what do you get someone who is completely crazy?” he muttered to Bird, as their trek began again.

Meghan stood behind Ivan, waiting as he again studied the map. She took off her pack and sat down. As she did, a plume of red dirt wafted off from her clothes.

“I’m never going to get these clean,” she whined.

“While we’re stopped, can you…” Meghan cut him off.

“Yeah, yeah. Just a sec.” She took a minute to gather herself and then created a fire in the palm of her hand. She focused on their journey, and the figure she had seen earlier that morning. She saw the same shadow of a figure, hiking through the valley. Nothing had changed. She searched the flames for any hint of what they might face ahead. However, there was nothing new in her vision.

Ivan shook his head in confusion after Meghan informed him they were still not alone. A sense of urgency came over them both and they decided to eat lunch while walking, again.

After awhile, the quiet of the valley grew on Meghan’s nerves. Hoping it would not turn into the catastrophe it had the first time, while in Grimble, during the carriage rid, she attempted conversation with Ivan.

“Tell me about the Svoda, Ivan, the other groups I mean. Do you know anyone in the other groups?”

“I was only four when we started traveling again,” he answered. “So no, I don’t really know much about the other groups other than they exist.”

“How about Jul.. Banon Blackwell, then. She is the leader of all the Svoda, right?” Ivan shot her a look that said, DUH!

“What I mean is,” she clarified, “how did she end up here, with this particular group?”

“Oh. Well, when the time came for the Svoda to divide themselves amongst the different groups, Banon Blackwell knew she would have to choose just one. She wanted it to be a fair decision, so she, along with those selected to be leaders of the other groups held a raffle. A regular pull-a-ticket-out-of-the-hat kind of raffle, actually. Each ticket had a group number on it and Banon Blackwell drew this group.” Ivan actually sounded happy explaining this to Meghan.

“I wonder how the other groups handle not having her around. They must miss such an incredible woman…leader, I mean.”

Ivan chuckled.

“She is admirable, to say the least,” he agreed.

A short while later, as the heat of the day wore on Meghan, a voice echoed through her head.

“Colin?” she whispered, knowing instantly that it was not her brother. Her block was still firm. She sensed Colin in the back of her mind, but did not contact him or let his thoughts in. So whose voice was she hearing?

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“Aahhh!” she suddenly yelled, falling over. She had not been watching her steps and was now laying face first in the dirt.

Ivan shook his head, but grabbed her hand, helping her up. Meghan wiped off the red dirt now plastered on her face, spitting out bits that had wormed their way into her mouth. She poorly ignored Ivan’s humor-filled eyes.

“You are enjoying my discomfort a little too much, aren’t you?” she mumbled.

A sly smirk snuck through his lips but he said nothing. Throughout the rest of the day, the unfamiliar voice periodically entered her mind, but never clearly enough to hear what was being said.

“Great,” she thought. “Just great! Hearing voices while stuck in the middle of nowhere on a mission with Ivan. Just perfect!”

Meghan’s frustrations grew more obvious as the day progressed. Ivan’s sly smirk turned to agitation as Meghan slowed and stumbled more often. As the second day ended, Ivan announced their hideout for the night was not too far, but they needed to pick up the pace to get there in time.

Once again, they found themselves scurrying to the cave with just minutes to spare.

Ivan looked quite pleased.

“What?” prodded Meghan.

“We made good progress today. We actually went a lot further than I expected we would.

We will arrive at our destination sometime in the late morning, if all goes well.”

“No wonder I’m so damn tired,” retorted Meghan. “I thought this journey wasn’t supposed to be that long.”

“I have a theory about that, actually. I think the valley changes. That even though the Goblins sleep during the day, something changes. Like a defense mechanism, to keep people from getting through the valley. I don’t think Banon Blackwell realized we might walk in circles a few times.”

“Have we been?” Meghan had not noticed.

“Yes. A few times.”

“I’ll say it again, then. No wonder I’m so damn tired!”

“You survived,” replied Ivan, adding, “Same drill as last night. You see and I’ll get us some dinner.”

This plan was all well and good, except for the fact that Meghan was not in control of her emotions.

As soon as she started her fire, the unwanted vision came: Jae, on his pillar, the dark silhouette drowning him… killing him.

Again though, the vision was not the same. At the end, when the silhouette was about to pick up Jae, and throw him into the black abyss, Jae fought back. His eyes turned black, fuming with anger. Meghan quivered at the sight of Jae’s coal black eyes.

Even more disturbing, was that Jae’s body changed, too. His teeth were sharp and snapped at his opponent. His body was no longer the tall, frail, thin body Meghan was used to seeing.

His arms were rugged and strong.

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Jae charged the silhouette, forcing it to the edge of the pillar. It toppled into the black abyss, leaving Jae the lone victor. He turned to Meghan. His eyes pierced hers, as if he could see her. He snarled, easily leaping from his pillars to hers.

Meghan screamed.

The vision ended.

Ivan picked her up off the cave floor. After Meghan had regained her composure, he let go and turned around, facing the cave wall, angrily.

“Will you ever trust me enough to tell me what’s going on with Jae?” she asked, still shaking.

Thus far, they had avoided any real confrontation. Ivan whirled around and then squatted so that he was eye to eye with Meghan.

He gulped and then spoke.

“Yes, I will actually.”

Meghan’s eyes opened wide, reading Ivan’s face as he replied.

“But not today, right?” she whispered, realizing he was just taunting her.

“No. Not today.”

“Why not?” she asked, genuinely interested in his reply.

“You’re not ready… yet.”

She wrinkled her nose at him.

“In your eyes, Ivan Crane, I doubt anyone would ever be deemed ready!” Meghan folded her arms and huffed.

“I am going to tell you something, Meghan Jacoby.”

He then stood up, looking quite tall and foreboding.

Meghan did the same. She wanted to be on even ground when he insulted her, so she could defend herself properly.

“I have certain goals I very much intend on fulfilling. Failure is not an option. Nothing will get in my way. Nothing!”

Meghan recalled the violent dream she had, where Ivan had attempted to kill her.

“You are an asset, Meghan,” he went on. “The Banon likes you, for whatever reason,” he added dryly. “Therefore, I like you. The way I see it, we are unwilling business partners. You are helping me get what I want, and I, eventually, will give you what you want.”

“So this is like ‘let’s make a deal’ or something?” Meghan guffawed. “You rub my back and I’ll rub yours?” Meghan shook her head in disgust. “No wonder you don’t have any friends, and to think…” she accidentally admitted, “I was almost starting to not despise being around you!”

Ivan lunged toward Meghan, pinning her against the cave wall.

“Having friends is a luxury I cannot afford, Meghan Jacoby. Friends make you care. Friends make you realize what you’re giving up. Friends get in the way.” Meghan gulped, hard, unable to take her eyes off Ivan’s face, only inches away. Many thoughts raced through her mind at light speed.

What did Ivan mean?

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What was he giving up?

What was he hiding?

Perhaps he was just angry with her, because her Firemancy had allowed her into his secretive mind. Colin hated when she did that, too. She knew it was the one place he always felt free. Perhaps Ivan was worried she would see too much. She suddenly remembered the phrase keep your friends close and your enemies closer. Did Ivan think of her as an enemy?

She did not know. However, she did now know that Ivan Crane was not someone she could afford to get close to, or trust, completely. She might be forced to spend time with him, but it was now purely business. There was no giving Ivan a chance any longer.

Ivan stood back, unpinning Meghan from the wall and went to the opposite side of the cave and readied dinner. Meghan took a deep breath and once again started a fire in her hand, this time keeping her focus. Once her vision was over, she advised Ivan of what she had seen.

“If we keep up our current pace, we should be there before the other valley walker,” she said, quietly.

Ivan nodded, handing her a meat pie.

Outside their cave, the valley began stirring to life. In the distance, a ghastly, deafening cry filled the sky. It was so forceful it shook the ground.

Meghan took a few steps deeper into the cave. She wanted this bad trip to be finished.

What was she doing here? She squelched the edging desire to cry and bit her lip. She could not, and would not, permit Ivan Crane to get the better of her.

Meghan Jacoby would do what she needed to help Jae. In addition, if Juliska wanted her to work with Ivan, she would. She faced Ivan, extending her hand.

“Business partners, then,” she told him.

He shook her hand, his dry smile returning.

“I knew you’d come around.”

Meghan wanted to hit him.

“Let’s get some sleep,” he advised. “We have a big day tomorrow.” Megan sighed.

Why did Ivan always have to be right?

13

Evening approached, and Colin was farther away from his closest safe spot than he had hoped he would be. Bird urged him along, but his short legs could only go so fast. They were hiking past a ridged canyon wall, which Colin thought would never end. Somewhere at the 58

end of this rocky ridge was his hideout. Bird began chirping more raucously as they neared the end. Colin stopped for a second, catching his breath. He leaned up against the last bit of the canyon wall. The light around Colin faded. He knew he needed to hurry and enter the cave, or face being caught by the Goblins.

As he repositioned the bag over his shoulder, he froze. The canyon wall he had been leaning against stirred. The rocky canyon wall began shifting. Pebbles and rocky debris fell down its sides. A sharp slice of rock hit the side of Colin’s face, leaving a bloody gouge. Colin ran. He didn’t’ want to be around when it awoke.

The creature came to life with a terrible roar that rumbled through the entire valley. It shook its body like a wet dog, but rather than hair, shards of rock showered the ground below the beast.

Colin ran faster than he’d ever ran before, leaping inside the cave. He turned over and watched what he had believed was a canyon wall, stalk passed him, like an oversized playful puppy. An outstretched spiky tail wagged behind it.

Colin crept deeper into the cave.

“What have I gotten myself into?” he asked Bird.