Forged by Greed (24 page)

“The Goddess can be quite temperamental.” Ivona sighed. “But she
never takes an unnecessary risk, especially when the last surviving member of
the Royal Family is involved. Jatred is about to become the Race’s King, so why
would she jeopardize his life?”

“I have a feeling it’s about the Amulet,” Tyrrell said. “Crystal
took it from Jatred.”

Everyone except Tyrrell and Jatred shouted with their minds,
“What?!”

Tyrrell nodded. “We think Jasmira somehow convinced Jatred to show
her the Amulet, and then she took it. I have no idea how she was able to do
that with all the security precautions we have employed in our house.”

Jatred kept his eyes on the ground, his shoulders hunched. “I
seriously don’t remember anything about that. I don’t even know who Jasmira
is.”

“Dude! You had the biggest crush on that girl for years. And you two
finally started dating last summer.” Bogdan reclined and
squared his ankle over one knee
.

“So you say. I still don’t remember anything about her.” Jatred
shrugged.

“This only confirms my theory about Crystal altering Jatred’s
memories,” Tyrrell said.

“But are those memories specifically and only about Jasmira, and
nobody else?” Ivona asked.

Everyone looked at her in silence. Andy said, “Interesting.”

“So, let’s assume that Crystal erased only the memories about
Jasmira, since Jatred seems to remember everyone else.” Ivona cupped her chin
in her hands, resting her elbows on her knees. “Because the Amulet is involved,
there must be a link between Jasmira and the Amulet. Which makes sense, because
she’s the Summer Race’s Princess.”

“As I mentioned before, somehow Jasmira was able to take the Amulet
from our house. And immediately after Jatred got it back, Crystal summoned him
to fight one of her Garhanans,” Tyrrell explained. “But there is more. I didn’t
want to say this on the phone, obviously.”

“What.” Bogdan looked alarmed.
 

“Jatred remembers being in the Summer Realm. I think Jasmira must
have transported him there, using the powers of the Amulet. But I’m sure she
wouldn’t be able to that without Amber’s help.”

Everyone started to talk at the same time. The adults spoke with
their minds, but Jatred and Bogdan talked out loud. Andy got up, his arms
raised, palms facing forward. “Wait. Okay. Unfortunately this is a strong
possibility, since Jasmira shouldn’t have known much about the Amulet just yet.
Not until she turns seventeen and officially becomes her Race’s Queen. And she
definitely wouldn’t be able to bring
anyone
on her own to the Summer Realm. Especially a Winter Shifter.”

“Crystal knew immediately that the Amulet was outside the Winter
Shifters’ protection. But I hope she didn’t realize that Jatred was in Amber’s
Realm. I wonder if this has ever happened in our Race’s history,” Tyrrell said
in his low voice.

“Not that I know of,” Andy remarked, glancing at his wife. “Ivona?
Have you read or heard otherwise?”

“No.” She shook her head. “It’s been thousands of years since the
Amulet was created. You would think someone had tried to snatch it before. But nothing’s
been mentioned about such an event in any of the records. And there’s nothing
about any of our Shifters entering the Summer Realm.”

“I was there. I’m positive. But I don’t remember anyone with me.”
Jatred said.

“So why would Amber make Jasmira take the Amulet and bring you to there?”
Bogdan turned to look at Jatred.

Jatred averted his eyes. He was angry and ripped with guilt not only
because someone was able to take the Amulet from him. But that someone
endangered him by taking him to the Summer Realm. And he couldn’t even remember
who that was. “It’s about the ten-thousand year mark,” he said, looking down at
his knees.

“How do you know about
that!
?”
Tyrrell almost shouted, getting to his feet. He looked at the Tornwoods and
slowly sat back down. “I’ve never told you about the ten-thousand year mark.
Who did? The Goddess?”

CHAPTER 27

Human World, November 17,
morning.

Nobody spoke for a few long moments until Bogdan asked, “Can someone
explain what we’re talking about? I already figured I’m way in the dark about
all this, but … come on.”

“I don’t even know what the ten-thousand year mark is. Seriously.”
Jatred avoided looking at the others. “It just popped into my mind.”

Silence. A few moments passed before Andy cleared his throat and
said, “I believe we are dealing with a form of a mind transposition.”

“English please,” murmured Bogdan.

“When Crystal entered Jatred’s mind to remove his memories about
Jasmira, she inadvertently placed a fragment of the ten-thousand-year mark
knowledge,” Andy continued. “Think of it as residue.”

“Crystal didn’t mean to leave such information in Jatred’s brain,”
added Ivona, looking from face to face. “We believe both Goddesses have the
power of erasing their Shifters’ memories, but they rarely do so. Only if faced
with no other option would they do such a thing. As Andy said, it is a residue
of something that she was concerned with while she was actually clearing those
memories from Jatred’s mind.”

“Now that’s super freaky.” Bogdan sat up straight. “Bro, she really
messed with your head,” he added sympathetically, glancing at his friend.

Jatred felt uncomfortable and deliberately looked away.

Tyrrell leaned forward, fixing his black eyes on his adoptive son’s
face. “Nobody is blaming you. You are a target in this strange scheme. I don’t
think she knew that you were taken to the Summer Realm though. If she did,”
Tyrrell took a deep breath and exhaled loudly, “she would have done much more
than what she did to you.”

Tyrrell stood up and raked his hand in frustration over his closely-cropped
hair. He walked around the room, the fingers of both hands linked at the back
of his strong neck. Finally, he stopped, turned and looked at Jatred, his gaze
filled with concern and unconditional love. For a moment his face revealed the turmoil
churning deep inside him. Losing his adoptive son was not an option.

Ivona watched them in silence, chewing on her lower lip. She cleared
her throat and said, “We will get to the bottom of it. But you need to help us
understand the Goddess’s motives. She is very methodical and never does
anything to deliberately hurt her Shifters.”

“So why did she make me fight that Garhanan?” Jatred asked quietly.

“Maybe she knew for sure that you would win.” Ivona’s voice was even
less audible than Jatred’s. “Right now it’s hard for you to remember that
Crystal is our protector, and only acts in her Race’s best interest.”

“Hard to believe? I say impossible.” Bogdan snorted, folding his
arms over his chest.

Ignoring her son’s remark, Ivona continued, “The Royal heads of each
Race learn about the Amulet when they become adults, at seventeen. Unless, it’s
their Race’s turn to keep the Amulet. For the last one thousand years it has
been the Winter Shifters’ turn.” She spoke to Bogdan, since he was the only
person in the room that needed this explanation.

Bogdan shook his head. “I don’t get why so much is kept from us.”

Ivona sighed and ignored her son’s complaint. “Jatred obviously knew
about the Amulet, being its appointed Guardian. If his parents were alive, he
wouldn’t have learned about it until his seventeenth birthday. But because
Tyrrell is Jatred’s adoptive, not biological, father, he only helps Jatred with
this difficult task. Tyrrell can’t carry the burden of the actual
responsibility for the Amulet. At this point, Jatred is the only one left from
our Royal Family.”

“I still don’t understand why the Goddess would make him fight a
Garhanan,” Bogdan interjected. “Jatred could have been killed, and then who
would become the Race’s King?”

“There are rules, clearly outlined in our Race’s Accords, for
choosing the next Queen or King in the event of one Royal line ending. But
about Crystal—no, she must have known for sure that Jatred would overpower that
particular Garhanan,” Andy said. “The question is—why did she do it?”

“The violence of the fight. I had to kill to be punished.” Jatred’s
eyes opened wide. He looked at Andy, shocked.

“How do you know
that
?”
Bogdan asked. “Is this because of the… what was it, Dad? Oh, a mind
transposition?”

“You’re right! The Goddess couldn’t punish you if there was no act
of vast violence. Is that right? Andy? Ivona? I’ve heard about it from my own
grandfather years ago,” Tyrrell exclaimed. Both Bogdan’s parents nodded. “The
fact that Jasmira took the Amulet wasn’t your fault, Jatred. She deceived you.
Most likely because Amber told her to. Or, most likely, it was Amber playing
the puppet master with Jasmira. You didn’t give Jasmira the Amulet. You were
tricked, which can’t be a reason for a punishment from our Goddess.”

“Over the centuries the Winter Race had become non-violent by
nature, so Crystal wouldn’t be able to alter your memories,” Andy added. “She
figured that the only way to do that is to make you kill that Garhanan. I have
a feeling the creature was told to fight to the death. But I also bet the
Goddess chose a weaker one, so your life wasn’t really at stake. She knew you
would kill it.”

“Crystal made Jatred fight a Garhanan, just so he could kill it?
That’s so convoluted.” Bogdan shook his head. “Jatred commits an act of
violence, which, in turn, lets the Goddess enter his mind and alter it?”

“Pretty much. Yes,” Andy agreed. “Also, note that she didn’t make
Jatred kill another Shifter or a human. I know that, under the circumstances,
it is hard to give her any credit. But, for what it’s worth, this clearly shows
that Crystal didn’t want to scar Jatred with the guilt of killing a person. The
Garhanans are simply monsters; not that they aren’t living things, but still—”

“So it’s okay for her to make me kill a Garhanan, just because it’s
not a person?” Jatred interrupted, angrily.

“No, that’s not what he meant.” Tyrrell sighed. “It was wrong to
make you fight even a nasty, blood-thirsty creature of torment. You are rightly
a victim in this situation. You were used, and I wish Crystal hadn’t made you
do that. But Andy is trying to explain, that there must be something bigger at
stake. Something that made the Goddess take such extreme measures. And, again,
it all points back to Amber. Crystal must’ve known about whatever the Summer
Goddess is attempting to do, and she was determined to stop Amber.”

“Wait. I just thought of something. It popped into my mind, like the
other stuff before.” Jatred’s face lit up. “I remember the little fire
thingies. They were zooming around, like miniature spaceships. But I couldn’t
see the shapes, just a very bright light. Two of them. And one kinda got inside
me. At least I think that’s what happened.”

“Go on.” Andy nodded, his face intent.

Jatred exhaled in exasperation and shook his head from side to side.
“How could something get inside me? That’s freaky to even think of.”

Ivona answered in her warm, calm voice, “You were in the Winter
Realm. After the Shifters die, their Spirits go back to the Realm. Some of them
are
very
ancient and possess amazing
powers, knowledge, and long-forgotten skills. We believe these very old Spirits
can enhance a Shifter in various ways, but only in the Realm. Or in the place
called In-Between.”

“What?” Bogdan shot his mother a dubious look, his eyebrows arched.

Andy Tornwood answered, “It’s the place between both Realms, the
Winter and the Summer. There is only one tiny passage in The History of The
Winter Race book about it.” He walked to the window and stood there, staring at
the gray sky.

When Andy didn’t elaborate, Jatred raised his eyebrows in
anticipation. “And?”

Andy turned to face the room. “It’s a very short section; less than
a paragraph, really. As long as I remember, there have been discussions about
what the In-Between is all about, why it has been created, and by whom. There
are as many opinions as leaves on a tree. We really don’t know much about it. Just
that the Spirits from both Realms can freely move between their own Realms and
In-Between.”

“But Winter Spirits can’t go to the Summer Realm and vice versa. Right?”
Bogdan asked.

“No.” Andy shook his head.

“So, those ancient Spirits can enhance Shifter’s abilities, you
said. Maybe make him wield a sword like a pro, even if he never touched one?”
Jatred leaned forward in his chair, his eyes wide with interest.

“Yes,” Ivona and Andy said in unison.

“Huh.” He reclined back, smiling. “That zipping around Sparky was an
ancient Spirit,” he said as if to himself, and then added more loudly, “Now it
makes sense. Sparky helped me beat that Garhanan into a pulp. He must have been
quite a champ in his days; Shaolin kung-fu master, I betcha.”

“I’m glad you find some humor in this, son.” Tyrell smiled. “It
could’ve been a
‘she’
, and not a
‘he’
. And, actually, the Shaolin
Monastery was established by the Shifters of both Races in the fifth century.”