The Key of Kilenya (35 page)

Kenji leaned back. “I agree, and I’m sure
we’ll find out soon enough.” He smiled at Ebony. The adults were
silent for a moment, then Kenji spoke again. “Even with all the bad
that has happened out there, it’s refreshing to hear the news of
the outside world. Jacob, you have no idea how exciting this is for
all of us. We haven’t been able to leave Taga for so long.”

“I can imagine. I’d die if I were stuck in
one spot for as long as you’ve been here.” Jacob realized he’d
lived in the same small town his whole life, but at least he’d been
able to visit the bigger cities around them. His eyes traced the
silver lines in the ceiling; then a question popped into his head.
“So why did the Lorkon attack the castle in the first place? They
didn’t even know about the Key yet. Was it for money?”

“I think it was more for power than
anything,” Kenji said. “They came here wanting to rule more and
more land. They were jealous of Dmitri and his future kingdom.
Well, Keitus was, anyway, and the rest of the Lorkon do as he does.
But they were successful in getting rid of King Roylance, Queen Ara
Liese, Dmitri and Arien, and anyone else who opposed them.”

“
Anyone
who opposed them? Wouldn’t
Gallus have opposed them? And the Fat Lady? And you guys?”

“Yes, but sometimes the best way to stand up
to someone is to bide your time and wait, rather than to act rashly
in a moment of emotion. We, as you know, were asked to come here
and protect the Key and the link to your world. The Fat Lady
hunkered down for a long winter, preparing herself for the storm
which is still to come. And Gallus fought bitterly against the
humans who sided with the Lorkon, just to stay where he is. He lost
everything, including his wife and children. We now know that he’s
remarried and has started a new family—we've sent Minyas back and
forth several times since learning from you that he was alive—but
to stay behind was a very difficult decision for him to make. He
had to do it to keep an eye on his people.” Kenji rubbed his
shoulder and stared at the wall for a moment. “Tell us again what
happened when the Lorkon touched you.”

“There was a lot of pain. My muscles went out
of control, and every time I opened my eyes, I saw bright flashes
of light. Hundreds and hundreds of people were running around us,
but Akeno didn’t see them. Do you think the people I saw were
dead?”

Kenji frowned. “I’m not sure.” He looked at
Brojan. “What do you think?”

The patriarch didn’t respond for a moment.
“We’ll want to consult with the Fat Lady and Aldo, if he recovers
from whatever is consuming his mind.”

Kenji turned back to Jacob. “We knew
something would happen if Keitus touched you, but we weren’t sure
what. I’m sorry to say it, especially since it was a painful
experience for you, but we were very interested in whatever the
outcome would be.”

“Nothing changed inside me, and the only
thing that happened was the pain,” Jacob said.

“No, that’s not correct,” Kenji said. “Don’t
forget the potion you took. It was designed to control your
abilities, or your reactions to those abilities, once the Lorkon
released them.”

“How did they release my abilities, and how
many do I have?”

“We’re positive there are a lot, lurking in
your system—”

Jacob couldn’t help but grin at this.

“—and the Lorkon released most of them by
touching you. The magic in their blood caused a reaction with the
magic in yours, jump-starting everything for you. Your talents
would have developed naturally if they hadn’t accelerated them, but
what we’ve guessed so far is that the Lorkon, in their desperation
to gain control, didn’t want to wait but wanted to unlock those
abilities at once. They probably figured their chances of
controlling you would be greater if you were in their presence when
your gifts manifested themselves. They would have been correct in
that assumption. The most foolish thing they did, however, was to
overlook the fact that you wouldn’t have come alone. From their
experiences in the last war, they know Makalos are physically weak
and wouldn’t be good ‘bodyguards.’ But they didn’t realize that
many Makalos are still magical.”

And a good thing, too. Jacob didn’t want to
think what would have happened if the Lorkon had been aware of that
fact. They weren’t likely to make the same mistake again. “What are
the Lorkon going to do now? They weren’t exactly happy about my
leaving.”

“They’ll be coming for the Key pretty soon,”
Kenji said. “And for you, as well. As you’ve already discovered,
you possess some pretty amazing qualities. They’ll want those gifts
under their control.”

“But how did they know about me?”

Kenji took a drink. “They’ve apparently known
for a long time, and knew you’d have special abilities, even before
we did.”

Ebony sighed. “Who knows how or when they
figured everything out.”

“Will they go after my family, too? Or just
me?”

“I’m sure they’ll do both,” Kenji said.
“They’ll first prepare themselves, though, and they have to get
through Taga before reaching your city. As we said, the entrance
was sealed again. Remember, however, that it’s temporary. We’ll be
able to keep them out for a week, maybe, but it will be very
difficult to keep them away for long.”

Ebony patted Jacob’s arm. “Things will be
okay.”

“We’re positive you still have other
abilities yet to be discovered,” Kenji said, then rubbed his hands
together, a grin spreading across his face. “It’s going to be fun
to figure them all out!”

“Yeah, a thriller,” Jacob said, snorting.
“Okay, it’ll be fun, but only if I can walk through walls or fly or
something.”

“No, none of that stuff. It’ll probably be
more mental,” Kenji said, tapping his head.

“Mental like I’m
going
mental, or
mental like I’m making
other
people go mental?”

Ebony and Kenji laughed, and Brojan
smiled.

“We don’t know exactly what talents you’ll
have when all of this is over,” Kenji said, “and we probably won’t
know until we’ve been able to talk with the Fat Lady and Aldo. One
thing for you to note—when Keitus touched you, he probably unlocked
many of your gifts, but not all. The rest will come naturally as
you age. Taking the Fat Lady’s potion not only saved your life but
put most of those abilities under control until you learn to unlock
them yourself.”

“So, what happens if I’m never able to
control my mad skills?”

Kenji’s eyes twinkled. “Nothing much. The
Lorkon will continue terrorizing the people of Eklaron; eventually
your family will be in danger, as will other people in your world;
and the races here that are good will be destroyed, including the
Makalos. Oh, and the Lorkon will figure out how to use your talents
for you.”

Jacob rolled his eyes. “That’s it?” he said.
“Somehow I expected so much more.” Everyone laughed, and Jacob
smiled inwardly, glad he’d been able to make a joke of sorts.

Brojan leaned forward in his chair. “You
believe your ability to mold things deals with sensing the
weaknesses in them?”

“Yes, I think so,” Jacob said, nodding. “And
I have a theory. I think I’m able to make things stronger when I
remold them.” He motioned in the general direction of his town.
“But why wasn’t I able to feel heat from things back at my own
place? Does it only work here, in your world?”

“I don’t think so,” Kenji said. “Your arrival
in Eklaron possibly forced this ability to come into the open, but
it would have occurred naturally anyway.”

“So, I should be able to mold things when I
get back home?”

Kenji nodded. “We think so.”

The room was silent as Jacob thought through
what had been said. “How did I get these powers, and does anyone
else on Earth have them?”

The adults exchanged glances. “We were afraid
you’d ask these questions,” Kenji said. “And we’re not prepared to
answer them right now.”

Jacob sat back. “Why not?”

Brojan studied Jacob’s face. “There are too
many people involved, and it is not our place to answer until a
decision to do so has been reached by all.”

“That’s probably not the answer you wanted,
but you’ll get one eventually, I promise,” Kenji said.

Jacob stared at the Makalo. “I’m sorry for
saying so, but this is kind of ridiculous. Something that affects
my life so drastically should be my business.”

“And, as I said, you will know, someday.”

Ebony touched Jacob’s shoulder. “You need to
go back home. I’m sure your family misses you a great deal.”

Jacob sighed. “Yeah, and I miss them, too.
But first, I was wondering about Aldo. What happened to him?”

“We have no idea,” Kenji said, a dark
expression crossing his face. “And such a great man. I really don’t
believe he’s gone crazy, though. Something else is going on.” He
stared at his cup for a moment before continuing. “When we first
moved to the canyon, he helped us close off the entrance between
our village and the other lands by figuring out how we could use
our Rezend to make the trees grow with steel in them, making a much
stronger wood.”

Brojan cleared his throat. “It would be a
good idea if Kenji and I took some time to look into matters with
Aldo while Jacob finishes reading the book.”

“And we’re sure the Fat Lady’s safe, right?”
Jacob asked. “I know I’ve already asked, but—man!—she really helped
us out.”

Ebony nodded. “There’s never a need to worry
about her,” she said. “She and Aldo worked with Brojan to put extra
fortifications on her cabin. The passage of time does not lessen
their strength, nor do attacks make them weaker.”

“And that would explain why she never leaves
it,” Jacob said.

“Yes, exactly,” Kenji said.

“Any other questions?” Ebony said.

Jacob shook his head. “Aside from figuring
out what’s wrong with me, I don’t think so.”

Ebony scowled at him. “Jacob, nothing is
wrong with you. You’re different. That doesn’t mean you’re
broken.”

“We look forward to having you return once
you’ve finished reading the book,” Brojan said. “You’ll find the
information very valuable for a complete understanding of what has
happened—and is happening—in this world. And once you’ve read the
book, we’ll be able to answer any questions you might still
have.”

“You’re now as much a part of this world as
we are,” Kenji said.

Jacob finished off his juice and put his cup
down. “All right, then. I guess it’s time for me to go home. I
hoped Akeno would wake up while we were talking, but I think that’s
not going to happen.”

Ebony smiled and patted Jacob’s hand. “He’s
healed. He’ll wake up as soon as he’s ready.”

“Can I at least see him before I leave? Even
if he’s asleep?”

“Of course,” she said.

Jacob followed Ebony through one of the back
doors and down a narrow hall to a room with a few beds in it. Akeno
lay peacefully in one, breathing steadily. Jacob smiled, looking at
him. It was great to see him healthy again. If only Aloren were in
such a good position. Jacob leaned against the door frame, suddenly
feeling exhausted and helpless— he really, really hoped she was
okay. He had to get back to Maivoryl City as soon as possible. He
couldn’t stand thinking about her alone there, in that awful place.
Plans to rescue her solidified in his mind. He’d do it, and he’d
get Matt to help.

“Let me know right when Akeno wakes up. I’ll
come visit him.” Jacob returned to the main room, grabbing Aloren’s
bag. “Oh, wait, one last question. How much can I tell my
family?”

“As much as you want,” Kenji said. “It was a
Minya, as you know, who was sent to deliver the message letting
them know where you were, and after that, I don’t think what you’ll
have to say will come as much of a shock to them.” He smiled at
Jacob. “It also wouldn’t hurt to have their complete support.”

“All right, off with you, then,” Ebony said,
opening the door.

Jacob left Akeno’s house in high spirits. He
was excited to see Matt and Amberly again, and his parents when
they returned. Whistling, he climbed down the wall and crossed the
meadow. He paused on the way to the forest to look up at the tree,
wishing he could somehow take it home with him.

At first he was jumpy about being in the
forest again, but after a few minutes, when nothing out of the
ordinary happened, he stopped worrying.

Jacob sighed as he walked. The path back to
his house seemed to take forever, and he had to control himself to
keep from breaking into a run—wait—why couldn’t he run? He laughed
at himself and took off down the path, excitement building up when
he thought of his siblings eagerly awaiting his return.

He stepped out of the trees and onto the
grass in his backyard, spotting Amberly playing on the swing
set.