Firemancer Collection (Fated Saga Box Set Book 1) (3 page)

    “Do I have a choice?” he returned.

   “You can’t hide it from me that you’re curious about the Gypsies,” she said.

   Colin sighed.

   She was right.

   Again.

   “Let’s not take all day about it. Remember Sebastien? We are supposed to meet him soon.”

   “Don’t worry, it won’t take long,” she insisted, stepping out of the trailer.

   “How many emails did you get from Sebastien over the last few months, anyway?” Colin asked daringly as he followed her. She did not answer him about the emails, but her cheeks now matched the color of her flame red hair.

   One night, a few months back, Colin had accidentally discovered that Meghan had developed a crush on their shared friend. She had just finished reading an email from Sebastien, and before she had fallen asleep, let slip the words, “Goodnight, Sebastien. My love.”

   Colin had laughed moronically all night long. 

   Colin was not sure if he had ever seen his sister as mortified, as the night he had discovered she had a crush on Sebastien Jendaya.

   The twins pushed their way through the bush and tree filled divider, which separated the campsites, attempting to sneak a peek at the Gypsies.

   There was a group of men sitting around a campfire playing strange looking guitars; their fingers moved at incredible speeds, playing music that was catchy, yet soothing, almost trance-like. They looked out of place sitting around a campfire dressed in their brightly colored shirts and winged-tipped shoes.

   “Nothing too weird to report here,” said Meghan, losing interest. They lingered a minute longer, when something
too
weird did happen.

    Colin breathed in abruptly as he lost control of his body and could no longer move. Not even his gaze was under his control. His eyes penetrated another pair of eyes just on the inside of the Gypsy camp.

   “Tell me what to do!” he cried silently.

   “I don’t understand what’s happening,” Meghan replied, searching his thoughts in vain for something to help her understand.

   Colin got a keen sense that someone could clearly see the two of them standing in the woods, spying. His face went white with dread as he saw the shadow of a figure get up and walk in their direction.

   “I think I’m going be sick,” croaked Colin, trying to look away. His eyes or body would not budge. He remained frozen in place. Being caught spying was definitely not how Colin imagined meeting his new neighbors. 

   In the next moment, a shrill, screeching howl echoed above them, covering the twins’ arms in goose bumps and simultaneously releasing Colin from his statue-like imprisonment.

   A sense of panic infiltrated the Gypsy camp, and within seconds, all had disappeared inside the closest wagon.

   “How peculiar. It sounded like an owl,” said Meghan, her eyes searching the elevated pines. Meghan saw a shadow in Colin’s mind and faced the direction he was watching, but saw nothing.

   A deep chill brought on a shiver.

   After catching the glimpse of the shadow, Colin backed closer to his sister, perplexed at what had occurred. The Gypsy camp was completely deserted.

   “What
was
that? I couldn’t move,” whispered Colin.

   Meghan, already shaking off the strange occurrence, seized the opportunity to frighten her brother.

   “I’m sure it was a Gypsy cuurrse, to puutt you under their controlll.”

   “Ha ha, Sis. Very funny,” he retorted, not falling for her attempt at frightening him. “Plus, did you notice that they
all
disappeared into
one
wagon?”

   “Couldn’t have,” answered Meghan. “There had to be at least thirty people over there.”

   “I saw it, and they did,” argued Colin.

   “Maybe when you weren’t looking they all climbed out the back.”

   Colin did not have time to reply.

      “What are you doing in there?” a gruff voice whispered angrily from behind them. They both gasped and spun around. It was Uncle Arnon, who knew exactly what they were doing.

   They wondered if perhaps he could also read minds, as he was often a little
too
good at knowing when they were up to trouble.

   Arnon stood with arms folded, waiting for an answer.

   Colin let Meghan handle the hard part of answering, since he could do little more than tell the truth; which is not the point when caught in the act of something you know will make Uncle Arnon angry.

   “We were listening to the music, Uncle Arnon.”

   “The Gypsies are not outside, so what music?”

   “They stopped playing and disappeared inside their wagons,” answered Meghan. “Or,” she continued, putting on her annoyed face, “if you want to believe the geek patrol, Colin insists they somehow
all
fit themselves into one wagon, after an owl or something screeched overhead. Spooked ’em pretty bad I guess.”

   “Yeah, imagine being spooked by an owl when you’re camping in the middle of the Maine woods,” added Colin, unsure of his true feelings on the subject. He was also sure to send Meghan a silent scowl for the
little brother
wisecrack. 

   Uncle Arnon gawked oddly into the sky, as if expecting to see something. He led the spying duo, by their shoulders, back to the trailer. The twins crossed their eyes at each other, questioning their uncle’s unusual behavior.

   “I passed the Jendaya site on my way home,” he informed them. “They are not quite set up yet, so why don’t we have some lunch before you visit.”

   Meghan pouted in obvious disappointment, but begrudgingly made lunch.  An hour later, long after they had finished lunch, the twins began to get the distinct impression that Uncle Arnon was stalling their departure, as he kept them busy doing piddly things around the trailer.  

   Finally, over an hour later, they noticed a few of the Gypsies were back outside, and once Uncle Arnon had seen this, he told them they could go.

   “Behave, please!” he yelled after them. “Come six o’clock, you be at Kanda’s fire pit.”

   They raced across the road and headed into the woods to their secret path (which they had created over the previous six summers), leading to Sebastien’s campsite. Halfway through, they crashed directly into Sebastien.

   “’Bout time! I was coming to find you two,” he said.

   “Sorry, our uncle wouldn’t let us go. Besides, he told us you weren’t set up yet,” Colin said, catching his breath.

   “I told your uncle to tell you I was finishing when he passed by.”

  
How strange,
thought both twins in confused unison.

   “We’re together now,” said Sebastien. “Whatdyawannado?”

   “I’m thirsty, how ‘bout a tonic?” said Meghan. “We’re almost at The Little Shop anyway, and then we can hang at the lake.” They continued on the path, which veered off in two directions; one path lead to the Jendaya camp, and the second, to The Little Shop, which was in the middle of the Cobbscott Campground.

   As the trio followed the pathway, an unusual and awkward silence fell over them. Colin sensed Meghan’s nerves stopping her from talking, something he rarely had the pleasure to witness.
Can she really have it that bad over Sebastien?
Colin hid the thought from his sister and decided to be nice, by breaking the silence.

   “So, it must be nice that schools out?”

   “Definitely,” agreed Sebastien, glad of the break in tension.

   “What about your teams though?” Colin asked. “Don’t you miss them in the summer?”

   “I suppose a little,” admitted Sebastien.

   In an artless manner, Meghan finally spoke. “You started telling me in an email about getting to state finals.” Even as she blurted it out, she sent a silent glare to Colin that implied,
don’t you dare tell him or I will…
. She continued seamlessly, adding, “How did that turn out?”

   “Oh yeah, I guess I forgot to tell you,” and he excitedly went into a story of winning the final big game of the season. After discussing school and sports, Meghan was still abnormally quiet.

   “Did you get a look at any of the Gypsy wagons yet, Sebastien?” asked Colin, broaching a new subject.

   “No, not yet,” he answered.

   “Apparently, they’re afraid of owls,” joked Colin. “They all ran into a wagon, after one screeched.”

   “
A
wagon?” questioned Sebastien, not missing a beat.

   “I’m sure my brother was seeing things, Sebastien. There were too many to fit into one wagon.” Meghan was annoyed that Colin was still insisting on this fact.

   “That is what I saw, Sis.”

   “Why don’t we go check’em out later?” suggested Sebastien, recalling how the twins’ arguments could escalate.

   “You two will have to go without me. I’m not spying anymore,” announced Colin decidedly. 

   Sebastien, puzzled, asked, “Why not?”

   “Something strange happened, that’s why.”

   For once, Meghan agreed.

   “I guess it
was
strange, but still, it’s not worth quitting over.”

   Sebastien waited for an explanation.

   Meghan continued.

   “Colin and I snuck into the woods to take a peek at the Gypsies, and I think someone caught us.”

   Colin shuddered at the memory.

   “It was as if someone was forcing me to stay where I was. I was frozen in place. Then they all got scared by an owl screeching and ran away.” He added, reiterating, “Into one wagon.”

   “How would that be possible?” asked Sebastien.

   “No idea. But even minus that point, our uncle also caught us. So next time, we would be grounded for sure,” frowned Colin.

   “Nah,” said Meghan.

   “You don’t think so, Sis?”

   “Next time we won’t get caught, Little Bro.”

   Also remembering how Meghan’s use of the phrase ‘little bro’ could start a downward spiral in the conversation, Sebastien, thankful they had arrived at The Little Shop, sidetracked the twins.

   “We’re here. So, tonics all around?”

   The twins nodded yes.

   The path ended and they came into a clearing behind the tiny camp shop; three people inside would be a crowd and there were already two.

   “You wait here, I’ll grab the tonics,” Colin said, rushing inside, letting the screen door slam behind him.

   This left Meghan standing alone with Sebastien, searching her thoughts for something useful to say.
What is wrong with me? I need to get this under control already
, she huffed, silently. 

   “Yes, you do,” a voice echoed in her head.

   “Shut up, Col. You are not helping,” she shot back.

   “Can you at least try not to be weird
all
summer? We wouldn’t want to scare away our
only
friend,” he sent back sarcastically. To his surprise, he heard her giggle nervously.

   “What’s so funny?” asked Sebastien. “Did Colin say something funny? Were you doing that talking to each other thing again?” he whispered.

   “Sorry, he tripped in the store,” she lied.

   Meghan sensed Colin frowning.  

   Sebastien was the only person they had told about their mind-speaking ability, seeing as how one day he figured out something was up and asked them straight out if they could hear each other.

   Colin exited with three blueberry tonics, handing one each to Meghan and Sebastien.

   Without hesitation, they headed to the edge of Camp Cobbscott, to their favorite spot near the edge of the lake. They sat on an odd shaped tree, which grew sideways rather than up-ways, and spent the afternoon lounging in the shade and wading through the cold water as if the past eight months apart had not even happened. Before they knew it, six o’clock had arrived and they headed to Kanda’s fire pit.

Chapter 2

   “I can’t wait to hear Kanda’s new story tonight. I really love her stories,” said Colin in a dreamy haze.

   Meghan laughed. “You would ya geek!”

   Sebastien could not help but laugh, too. 

   “You don’t like them?” Colin asked, perplexed.

   “Ah, my nerdy little bro.”

   Colin cringed at his two least favorite words.

   “It’s not that I don’t like them, per se,” she continued, it’s just that they always have some point, some moral at the end. They’re not just stories.”

   “So?” Colin replied, still not understanding. 

   “I think what she’s trying to say,” said Sebastien, “is that it’s too much like learning something.”

   “It’s still a story, though,” defended Colin.  

   “Yes, it is,” she agreed. “I have to admit, there’s something about Kanda’s voice when she tells them, it makes the story seem…” she paused, thinking of the right word.

   “Believable,” suggested Sebastien.

   “Yeah, believable,” she agreed. “But it is still too much like learning something, and its summer! I don’t want to learn anything unless I have to!”

   “That’s my sister,” thought Colin. “Wouldn’t want to learn anything, even by accident.”

   “I heard that,” she snarled aloud, hurrying along to the party.

   “What did you hear?” asked Sebastien, but she did not answer. “What did I miss? Were you two using telepathy again?”

   “Sorry, Sebastien. It was nothing. Just one of my sister’s usual insults.”

   Colin started running to catch up with her, leaving Sebastien behind, looking confused. He shook his head and followed the twins, muttering, “I’m beginning to hate it when they do that.”

   A feast ensued with lobster and clam chowder, or as the locals put it, lobstah and chowdah, with ployes for dipping into the chowder, made by Mrs. Jendaya (she makes the best), and loads of fresh corn, potatoes roasted with butter and spices, and biscuits with molasses. For desert, they had another summer evening favorite; blackberry dumplings, served hot with homemade vanilla ice cream. Blackberries were not in season yet, but Kanda always kept some frozen to have throughout the year.

   As the incoming night chill set in, the group huddled close to the fire, all eyes lost in the flames, sucked into the designs of the fire.

   At precisely nine o’clock, Kanda’s voice filtered through the mesmerizing flames and all eyes and ears switched to her.  Her voice seemed to mingle with the flames.

   “Tonight, I tell a story about truth.” She took a calm breath and serenely began.

   “Some time ago, there existed a woman whose heart was filled with the desire for power, but the more power she attained the more insatiable her lust became. 

   Then, by chance, she discovered love; true love, without condition. It changed her, taming her lust for power, and soon, she accepted her new love’s proposal of marriage.

   Now it was the custom of the day to marry at the rising of the sun, symbolizing the birth of a new beginning, and in the early hours of the long awaited day, a wedding party gathered.

   Each member carried a lantern, lit brightly, illuminating their walk to a nearby cliffs edge, where the wedding would take place. Upon arrival, the group dispersed, placing each lantern on the ground, forming a lighted path leading to the bride. The groom would arrive as the last lanterns flame dimmed, which was timed to the rising of the sun.

   Finally, the moment arrived. The flame of the final lantern dissolved, just as glorious beams of orange and yellow began to brighten the sky. However, dismay swiftly consumed the wedding party, as the sun’s rise finished and the groom did not arrive.

   The bride was overwrought with worry. What misfortune had befallen her beloved? Why did he not come?

   Immediately a search party dispatched. The others too, believed he had befallen some terrible fate, for they knew he loved this woman, wholeheartedly. Hours passed with no news, when suddenly a young man shouted, ‘We found him.’

  
The bride followed them to a nearby field where a crowd huddled around a body lying on the ground. She froze, fearing the worst.

   Then, the body moved and she rushed forward, pushing through the crowd. A man tried to stop the bride, but failed. As soon as she had pushed her way through, she wished the man had succeeded.

   She collapsed, clutching her heart.

   “This cannot be,” she repeated.

   The people bowed their heads in shame over the betrayal they each witnessed: the man sleeping in the arms of another woman. 

   So many things had passed through the woman’s head during her beloved’s disappearance. Betrayal, however, had not even once crossed her mind.

  The man stirred. He saw the woman he should have married earlier that morning and lit up like the sunrise he had missed. Then, as his head became clear, he noticed the woman next to him.

   “What is this?” he questioned, pushing her away. He shook her violently, trying to wake her. “Who are you?” he questioned.

   He crawled on his knees, begging his true love’s forgiveness. Pleading for a chance to let him discover the true meaning behind this betrayal; for in his heart, still filled with love for only her, he knew that it was no power of his own that brought him into the arms of this other woman, a complete stranger.

   The woman refused any forgiveness or possibility that there was any other truth other than what her eyes could see.

   He was her beloved no more.

  
Pain and bitterness surged through her veins, replacing the love she felt for this man.

   In the weeks that followed, she obsessed over the agony falling in love had brought her. She lost all faith in love and vanquished…”
as Kanda said the word, a torrent of ferocious flame erupted high into the air and then dissipated. Kanda, looking straight into the eyes of her hypnotized listeners, continued.

  
“truth and love from her life.”

   Kanda closed her eyes, pained by the story.  

   “Her old desires for power returned to her nine fold, and she began a journey from which she could scarcely return. Her life purpose became to seek revenge on all those whom she believed had conspired to make her believe in love.

   The man, her once true love, after months of trying to prove his innocence, finally discovered that he had been poisoned and tricked into the arms of the other woman.

   By whom? He did not know. For what purpose? His heart knew the answer. Someone in want of his true love’s willingness for greed and power. Someone that knew she would never forgive him.

   Unable to bear the burden of this truth, and knowing he would never have the evidence to prove his innocence, the man sent his true love a letter that simply and truthfully stated, ‘I will always love you, even beyond my end.’ He then went voluntarily into death, jumping from the very cliff on which the couple should have been wed.

   The woman, after hearing of his death and reading the letter, felt a flicker of remorse. This remorse was defeated, however, as bitterness filled her shattered heart. Her truth became the final truth! The action of taking his life proved unequivocally that no other truth could exist.

  
Her life continued, with hatred and greed in place of love and life.”

   Kanda paused again, this time, casting her gaze directly into the eyes of the twins, sitting side by side.

   “Truth is the only real power,”
she spoke profoundly
. “Truth is freedom. Not pursuing it is a life of captivity!”

   The story ended and everyone remained silent, disappearing once again into the flames of the roaring fire. After a while, Kanda arose and softly offered refills on drinks, and the small party began again to come alive.

   “That was an interesting one,” said Meghan, a short while later.

   “Real happy ending,” agreed Sebastien sarcastically.

   Colin ignored them, disappearing into his own thoughts, analyzing every word of Kanda’s story. There were many holes and unanswered questions. Who had caused the real betrayal and why would they want to cause someone so much pain? Why could the man not prove himself innocent? Though filled with holes, the moral was perfectly clear: Seek the truth, always.  

   “Hey. Hey. You listening to me, Little Bro?” Meghan interrupted his train of thought.

   “
Yes
, I can hear you,” he retorted. 

   “I was trying to tell you that Uncle Arnon said we can stay up past curfew tonight.”

   Colin checked his watch. It was almost ten already, their normal curfew time.

   “It still feels early anyway,” he said, pleased at the news. 

   Excited that the night was not yet ending, he forgot about Kanda’s story.

   “Don’t wander too far, you two,” ordered Uncle Arnon.

   “Same applies to you, Sebastien,” added his father, Milo. They sat close as they could to the fire without being too close to the adults and talked the night away.

   Much later that night, as they left the fire pit, Uncle Arnon took the camp road with the Jendayas, leaving the twins and Sebastien at the entrance of the secret path behind The Little Shop. The Jendaya camp was a little closer than the Jacobys’, so they left Sebastien at his camp and continued home. The mesmerizing music from the Gypsy camp wafted through the air as they drew closer. 

   “They seem to be having a good time,” whispered Colin. “Let’s not go any closer, though,” he added, not wanting a repeat of that afternoon.

   Before Meghan could answer, a screeching howl ripped through the quiet of the night. A howl that was eerily similar to the one heard earlier that day.

   It was much closer this time.

   The Gypsy music halted and a huge commotion followed, as once again they scurried into hiding.

   For a moment, Colin wanted to watch more closely and see if they all went into one wagon, as before. However, he had an equally strong desire to run and hide.

   Uncle Arnon rounded the corner of the camp road just as another screech resonated through the night sky.

  “Come on you two, time to get inside,” said their uncle, quickening his pace.

   “That was the same screech we heard earlier,” said Meghan, officially creeped out. “Must be a large owl,” she gulped. “I’ve never heard one like it before.”

   Shadows danced on the ground around them in what little moonlight streamed through the tall pine trees. Colin jumped as a shadow moved alongside him, but it was just a swaying branch.

   “Ha,” started Meghan, ready to make fun. In the next second, she froze and sucked in a quick breath. Something unseen beamed a spine-chilling quiver down her back and into Colin’s mind. They could not escape the sensation that something unfriendly was watching them, from somewhere close by.

   “M-maybe we should hurry?” Colin said, trembling. He did not want to see what was responsible for such a horrific feeling.

   As Uncle Arnon led them into the trailer and got them locked up for the night, Meghan’s mind raced over the events of the day. Colin sensed this and asked her what she was thinking.

   “I hate to admit it, but this whole day seems kind of strange.”

   “That’s an understatement!” he replied. They pondered on the subject for a while, separately, until their uncle’s voice intruded into their thoughts.

   “Time for bed. Goodnight you two.” It was impossible not to notice his hands quivering as he closed their door. The twins crawled into bed, ill by the fact that Uncle Arnon was clearly spooked.

   “He’s not supposed to be scared of owls, even large ones,” Meghan stammered silently.

   “It is out of character, but maybe… maybe that screeching isn’t an owl. Maybe we missed something. Remember Kanda’s story tonight? Always seek the truth, because it might not be what you first think.”

   “Was that her point? I stopped listening at the end,” she lied.

   “Yes, it was,” he said, shuddering at the thought of some creepy-crawly creature wandering around outside the trailer.

   “No. It has to be an owl,” she whispered. “I mean, what else could it be?”

   Colin shook his head. He had no better answer.

   Meghan continued. “What I want to know is why those Gypsies freak out every time that screeching owl, or whatever it is, comes around? And tonight…” she hesitated.

   He knew what she was thinking of. Something hidden, something evil, had been watching them. Colin shivered, goosebumps rising on the surface of his skin. His gut told him to hide, but if he crawled any deeper into his bed covers, he would soon be sleeping at the foot of his bed.

   “That was pretty creepy,” agreed Meghan, again hating to admit that it had frightened her. Then, attempting to lesson their level of alarm, she added, “It was the middle of the night! Which is always creepy here.”

   “True,” he agreed. “However, owls don’t typically screech during the day, and the first time we heard it was this afternoon, in broad daylight,” he reminded.