Alora: The Wander-Jewel (Alora Series Book 1) (3 page)

Kaevin remembered the story of Wendelle’s kidnapping and subsequent death, told almost as legend in the clan as a warning against complacency. Even in the face of Raelene’s obvious disbelief, Kaevin knew he must share his story. He might have been convinced the experience with the girl was entirely his imagination but for the testimony of his best friend.

“Jireo was there. I disappeared right before him. And I could see everything, feel the stone under my feet.”

More discussion from the council was peppered with questions. Morvaen made his voice heard above the others. “Where did you go? And what did you see? How long were you gone?” The robust weapons master paced in his usual manner, always seeming to have an overabundance of energy.

“I don’t know where I was. It was a very strange room, almost entirely covered in some kind of smooth polished stone.”

“An entire room of polished stone? But you didn’t recognize the stone?” Nordamen questioned, flinching as Morvaen bumped his chair with the scabbard of his sword. The weapons master apologized, but Nordamen quickly turned his attention back to Kaevin. “Was it opaque or translucent?” The chief shaman inclined his head awaiting the answer, obviously excited about the possibilities of power in the stone-covered room. His responsibilities included recognizing and training each clan member’s gifts. Beside him, although technically not a council member, sat his son, Bardamen. He was only a year from the age of thirty, when he would take his father’s place as chief.

“It was opaque—”

“Never mind that,” Morvaen interrupted. “Tell us about the girl.”

Kaevin concentrated on stilling his trembling knees as he spoke. “She was.... She was lying in a basin full of water with her eyes closed, at first.”

“She was breathing under water?” asked Nordamen. “That sounds like a gift of Water Clan.”

“No,” Kaevin bit back, clenching his fists. His face burned in shame at his lack of control. “I apologize—I didn’t mean to speak harshly. But I was trying to explain that her face was floating. She was breathing air, like you and me. And the basin holding the water was made of stone.”

“But she was in the water,” Nordamen protested.

“Let him finish,” Morvaen said. “Please proceed, Kaevin. Tell us what happened.”

He unfurled his fists, glancing back at his father who nodded assurance. “This last time, when she opened her eyes, she didn’t disappear. Her eyes were... I don’t know how to describe them.... They were different, not quite blue and not quite green. I’ve never seen anything like them.”

“If her eyes weren’t green or brown, we should consider them blue,” said Nordamen. “And she was in the water—she must be of Water Clan.”

“
No
!” Kaevin didn’t realize he’d shouted until a startled hush fell over the council members. “Again, I’m sorry, but please let me explain. She wasn’t evil. She never felt evil during the visions, and when I was with her, the air was clear. There was no sense of evil at all.”

“But you are young,” said Nordamen. “Your gift is not fully developed. Perhaps her evil was masked somehow.”

“I have seventeen years, and my gift is stronger than you realize. I am quite certain she wasn’t evil.” He lifted his voice over the council members’ murmurings. “I haven’t told you the most important part. … She had a wander-jewel. I saw it spark before it sent me back.”

“That’s impossible!” exclaimed Raelene. “We know of no clan with an active bearer. Or even a bearer who hasn’t come of age. Wendelle was the last. We’ve been praying, but none have come.”

“Then she must come from a clan we don’t know,” Kaevin argued. “There’s no other explanation.”

“How did you see the jewel?” Raelene crossed her arms. “A true bearer never leaves the jewel exposed.”

“She was bathing.” Kaevin attempted to hide his discomfort by pacing. “I think perhaps she’s just come of age, and she’s untrained. She didn’t seem to know what she was doing, and she screamed when she realized I was there. That’s when I saw the jewel spark, and I returned to where Jireo was waiting.”

“It’s possible.” Nordamen tapped a long slender finger against his chin. “A true innocent with no idea of her gift might accidentally transport someone.” He leaned forward and steepled his fingers. “But why would she transport Kaevin? Raelene, can you transport someone you’ve never met?”

“Honestly, I can only say I’ve never heard of it before. I’ve never known anyone who would try such a thing. If this girl is truly unaware of her gift, we’ve got to find her and train her before she hurts herself or someone else.”

“Yes, and before Vindrake or anyone in Water Clan finds her. Imagine the disaster that could result if he could control a bearer.” Morvane’s eyes grew wide, realizing the impact of his words. He glanced at Raelene’s drooping head. “I apologize, Raelene. That was unthinking for me to remind you of your loss.”

“No, your words are only the truth. We all know Vindrake would stop at nothing in his attempt to attain a bearer of his own.” She blinked hard, her eyes shining with unshed tears.

“These thoughts mirror my own.” Graely strode to the room’s center. “I feel we need to formulate a plan to search for this girl. I want Kaevin to describe her to Darielle, as she suggested. If we had a drawing, we might be able to locate her. Perhaps she is close by, but no one is aware of the jewel—a foundling or an orphan from one of the wars. And Kaevin, I want you to talk to Raelene. Describe the stone in detail to ensure what you saw was truly a wander-jewel.”

Kaevin’s jaw tensed and he opened his mouth to object, but Graely held up his hand. “I know you don’t believe there’s any other alternative; however, we must be certain. And if the girl is truly a bearer, you must be prepared to help her should she transport you again.”

Laethan finally opened his eyes and spoke. Kaevin supposed this proved he’d been listening rather than sleeping. “I need to speak with Kaevin about possible illnesses she could have. Any illness will worsen in transport, so I assume the plague is no different. If she’s sick, she must not be allowed to travel by the stone. And we must keep Kaevin from possible exposure to plague when he could be transported against his will at any time.”

“The rest of us will devise a plan to search for the girl.” Graely grimaced. “We must work together with all the other clans throughout Tenavae. They will assume we mean to claim her since Kaevin discovered her, but she belongs to whatever clan she lives with.”

Kaevin felt his chest tighten. “But what if she wishes to come with
me
? Perhaps that’s the reason she transported me.”

“You’re far too young to marry.”

“I didn’t say anything about marriage.” He ducked his head to hide his burning face. “But she might be afraid. Perhaps she would feel more comfortable with our clan.”

“I doubt seriously she’ll wish to leave her clan and move to a new one,” said Raelene. “But since I’m the only one who can train her, she might live with us temporarily.”

Kaevin’s breathing eased. It somehow seemed extremely important to have her nearby.

“I had another thought,” said Raelene. “We can’t know why she transported Kaevin, apparently by accident. She could do the same with someone else or something else. Someone or something dangerous. I believe it’s imperative to find her quickly.”

Kaevin felt a heavy knot in his stomach. Was it the idea of her being in danger? Or was it simply the idea she might transport someone else to her—someone besides him?

Images of the bo
y
invaded Alora’s sleep all night long. She had no idea whether it was another vision or simply a fantasy she’d made up in her head, but she dreamed she could see him sleeping in a dark room. Despite her fright from his sudden appearance in her bathroom, Alora felt an urge to try it again—this time, with clothes on. The problem was, she didn’t know exactly how it had happened. She only knew the water seemed to help.

“Uncle Charles?” she asked, with a tremor in her voice. “Would you be willing to help me with an experiment?”

He raised his eyebrows. “Maybe. But it depends on what you want to do.”

“I’d like to see if I could make that boy appear again. But this time, I don’t want to be alone. I want you with me. You could even have your shotgun, in case he’s dangerous. But I think he’s safe, and he seems to know something about my mother. So I’d like the chance to talk to him.”

“How are you going to do it?” A deep furrow appeared between his brows.

“I was thinking we could go outside to the hot tub. Since it happened when I was in the water, I think that could help. It might take a while, though, because I don’t know what made it happen.”

“Okay. I like the idea of having a gun, just in case. I’ll get my hat and coat. It’s in the twenties out there.”

Alora had on shorts and a T-shirt over her swimsuit. She slipped her feet into her boots and pulled on her coat to cross the patio to the hot tub. Charles, dressed in warm layers, settled in a chair next to the tub with his shotgun balanced across his lap and a book in his hands. Bozeman curled up at Charles’ feet, sniffing the air before laying his head on his paws.

Once inside the hot tub, with the water warming her frigid skin, Alora sank up to her neck in a corner. She rested her head on the side, attempting to relax while watching for the boy to appear. She tried closing her eyes and loosening her muscles. She even tried rubbing the stone in her navel, but nothing happened.

“I’m sorry, Uncle Charles. I don’t think it’s going to work. Are you getting cold?”

“I’m warm enough for now. Bozeman is keeping my feet warm for me. Are you getting waterlogged?”

“My feet are getting pruny. Maybe I’ll just try a few more minutes before I give up.”

Her mind wandered over the details of her uncle’s revelation of the truth. Did her mother really look like her? She tried to imagine herself with deep green eyes like the boy’s. And she wondered about her father. Was he really a bad person? Maybe after all these years, he had changed. Or was he even alive? Maybe he’d been killed in some kind of gang war? Maybe she could have a DNA test and put it up on some website that helped people find their long-lost relatives. All these years she’d thought he was dead, but now she might have a chance to meet him. What did he look like? Did she get her height from him? And her eyes? Her mind drifted. All was quiet except for the occasional scolding call of a chickadee.

One second she was gazing at a pine tree with snow-laden boughs, and the next second she was looking at him. Not in full form, only that disembodied head. But it wasn’t the boy—it was a man. A man with long jet-black hair and a beard. A man with piercing blue eyes. He was attractive, almost compellingly so. Alora felt drawn to him, drawn to his power and presence. And he seemed a bit familiar. She stared at him, mesmerized, until Bozeman’s growl caught her attention.

“Uncle Charles?” she whispered. “Do you see him?”

Charles dropped his book and grabbed his shotgun, raising it with white knuckles, his eyes scanning the area. “No! Where is he?”

“To whom are you speaking?” asked the man. “My name is not Charles.”

Alora ventured another look at her uncle, who apparently couldn’t hear the man’s voice either. She tried to keep her voice steady even as her heart pounded rapidly in her chest. “I wasn’t talking to you. What’s your name?”

“I am called Master Vindrake.” He seemed disappointed at her response to his name. “And what is your name? You look very familiar to me, and I do wonder why you have called me. However, I must admit I don’t remember your name.”

“I’m...” She paused as some sense of unease prevented her from saying her name aloud. “I’m... Lena.”

“Lena? I’ve never heard of this name.” He was staring at her through squinted eyes when his brows flew up and his mouth formed an “O.” He stretched his lips into a smile, and his voice caressed her with smooth velvet. “Wendelle. Your mother was Wendelle. Hello, Lena. I am your father. And I am extremely pleased to meet you.”

She gulped air as she responded, “My f-father?”

Her fear must have been evident on her face and in her quivery voice, because his eyes began to water and he pressed a fist to his trembling mouth. “Lena? Are you afraid of me? I’m your father. I love you. I don’t know what poisonous lies you’ve heard about me, but I assure you they are merely that—lies. Your mother stole you away from me and, all these years, I believed you were dead. I would never have neglected you or your training had I known you were alive.”

Alora glanced at her uncle, who now stood with his shotgun at the ready, listening to her stilted one-sided conversation. Bozeman continued his deep growl with an occasional snarl, his nose toward the apparition.

“Lena.” Vindrake’s face seemed to lean forward, although the disembodied head came no closer. “Where are you? I can bring you here with me to the safety of my kingdom. You will have much to gain by coming to me.”

“I don’t know if that’s a good idea. I need to discuss it with my uncle.” She tucked a stray curl behind her ear with trembling fingers.

“A part of you must know you belong with me. Otherwise you would not have contacted me. There is no need for you to travel. Simply tell me where you are, and I will come to you. Give me an opportunity to prove myself to you. Then you can determine for yourself whether you wish to come home.”

“I need some time to think.”

“You need me, Lena. You are obviously very powerful. You were able to call me despite my considerable protective wards. Almost, I was pulled into your transport. But a powerful gift is dangerous without knowledge of how to control it—how to utilize it safely.”

A fog clouded her head. His smooth voice and enticing words drew her into his web. But her heart hammered in her chest and chills rippled up her backbone. She wanted him to go away. No, she needed him to go away. But since her eyes were already open, she had no idea how to dispense with the specter. On impulse she stood up and stepped out of the water, but a glance told her Vindrake remained.

“I see your breath condensing in the air. It is no wonder I was unable to locate you. Your mother took you very far away, indeed. Yet you have enough power to reach me from a great distance. You are truly amazing! Will you not consider my offer? I only want what is best for you—to protect you and train you and pass on your inheritance.”

Alora faced her uncle. “Uncle Charles. Would you mind shooting something? Anything will do.”

He nodded his head, firing a shot in the air. Alora flinched and turned to find the image was gone. Now she stood wet and shivering in the freezing air.

“Do I need to shoot again?”

Alora rushed to throw her dripping form into his arms, almost dislodging the shotgun.

“Whoa! Careful!” He locked the safety on the gun before swinging her up into his arms, and carrying her into the warmth and safety of the house. Bozeman followed, sending one last growl behind him before slipping inside.

*****

Laethan grabbed Kaevin’s shoulders, turning him around to feel his forehead. He seized his hands and turned them over, examining his wrists. “You have no fever and your wrists are clear of rash. The first sign of plague is a strong headache, weakness, and high fever. After about three days, the rash will start on the wrists and ankles, moving up to the legs, arms, and body. About one of every four becomes unconscious and unable to drink water, even by reflex. Once they reach this stage, they will usually die.”

“All right,” said Kaevin, unsure what to do with this new, frightening information.

“So, if you find someone with these symptoms, you must keep your distance. If the girl transported you when you were even slightly ill, you might not survive the travel. And, if she had any of those symptoms, she would need to avoid transporting as well.”

“Believe me, I have no desire to be exposed to the plague. Is it spreading into the town?”

“No. At this point it’s primarily out on the farms. I’m concerned it may be spread by animals.” He wiped his brow and squeezed his tired eyes shut. “And I must get back to work. I’ve been called to Waenshire.”

Kaevin jumped when Raelene touched his arm. “Kaevin, can you tell me about the stone? Did you see it clearly?”

“I believe I can imagine it in my mind.”

“Describe it to me, if you will.” Though her question was innocent enough, he could read the doubt in her expression.

He closed his eyes, remembering the beautiful stone. It wasn’t too difficult, since the scene had replayed over and over in his head all night, keeping him awake. “It was about the size of my thumbnail, only rounder. Small facets all around with a circle of inward facets in the middle. It wasn’t quite gold, like I thought it would be. It had something like a red center with gold surrounding it. But when it sparked, it sparked red instead of gold.”

Raelene’s eyes were wide, but her lips trembled. For a moment, she looked as if she couldn’t breathe. “That’s amazing, Kaevin.”

“Amazing good or amazing bad? Does it sound like a real wander-jewel to you?”

“I believe you not only saw a genuine wander-jewel, but you saw one of a rare color. All wander-jewels are gold with a contrasting color in the center, usually white or blue. Red is the strongest color but, as far as I know, only one bearer in several lifetimes has had a red-centered stone, although for many years in the past it was common.” She blinked rapidly, biting her lips. “The only other red-centered wander-jewel in the past two generations was Wendelle’s.”

“I apologize for reminding you about losing your daughter.” Kaevin kept his eyes trained on his hands as the heat rose in his face.

“You can’t help what you observed, Kaevin. I realize that.” She patted his arm, and he looked up, relieved to see she wasn’t crying. “Actually, it feels good to talk about her. My friends try so hard to spare my feelings, they never speak of her. It’s as if she never existed.”

“Can I ask a question,” he ventured, “about what happened?”

She answered with a nod.

“I always wondered… why Stone Clan couldn’t have rescued Wendelle from Vindrake? Did we not try?”

“When Wendelle disappeared, we had no idea what had happened to her. She went out to tend the garden and never returned. Your father launched a rescue party the moment we suspected Vindrake had taken her.”

“But we failed?”

“No, we didn’t fail. We called off the attempt.” She hesitated, checking behind her for eavesdroppers. “This is not common knowledge, for we don’t wish to instill fear in our citizens… Vindrake sent a messenger to inform us of the evil work of his shamans. He placed a killing ward on her… a curse. If she left the caverns, she would die.” Her lips blanched together in a grim line.

“And you believed him? But what if it wasn’t true?”

“We didn’t know for certain, but we couldn’t risk it. And now, I believe his warning was accurate. You see, Wendelle was gifted in gresses; she could open locks. Even if Vindrake’s lair were warded against transporting, she should have eventually been able to find a way to escape.”

“But she did escape, didn’t she? She must have escaped if she transported to you.”

“Yes, she transported to me a year after she was taken.” Her voice was bitter. “Only to die a few breaths later in my arms. There was blood coming from her mouth, but not a mark on her body. Laethan and Nordamen both felt it was a result of a the curse.”

“I don’t understand. Surely our shamans are as gifted as Vindrake’s. Why can we not place a killing ward on Vindrake? We should make him pay for his actions.” He slammed his fist into his palm.

“Bite your tongue, Kaevin. You know not what you’re asking.” She whispered her words in a hoarse rasp. “To place such an evil curse, one must align themselves with demons, and innocent blood must be shed.”

He felt the blood drain from his face and swallowed hard. “I didn’t realize.”

“Of course you didn’t. You’re young and brave and full of valor. Before you take your place as Stone Clan leader, you’ll have many opportunities to learn the dangers and pitfalls of making your end goal the most important factor in your decisions. The temptation to battle evil with evil means is a constant enticement. But the moment we do that… the moment we turn our backs on God’s commands, we may win the battle, but we have lost the war.”

“Never fear, Raelene. I’m not so rash that I would ignore all I’ve learned from my father and the council. I would never betray my faith.”

Raelene smiled, her eyes crinkling at the corners. “I believe you, Kaevin. You’ll be a fine leader when the time comes. But we’re not here to discuss your future; we were speaking of the wander-jewel you saw. It’s worrisome that the girl possesses such a powerful stone.”