Mark of Four (26 page)

“Oh, good. Always a good sign when your girlfriend writes home about you.” Jayme’s friendly grin melted the awkwardness.

Wynn’s eyes widened, and she turned to stare at her daughter. “Why didn’t you ever say anything?”

Alayne shrugged, pasting a smile on her face. “There were some things I needed to talk to you about in person.” Bitterness tinged her tone, and she clamped her lips together.

“Alayne!” Bryan’s voice boomed from the doorway. “What’re you doing here, Bug?” He crossed the kitchen and swept her up in a bear hug. After a moment, he grasped her by the shoulders and looked her in the eyes. “Something the matter?”

Alayne shook her head. “We’re fine. This is Jayme.” She motioned to Jayme as he stood just behind her.

“Her boyfriend,” Wynn added as she swept by with a pitcher of water.

Bryan’s eyebrows arched. He reached a hand to shake Jayme’s. “Good to meet you, son.” He stepped back, and an awkward silence fell.

Wynn took a deep breath. “Well, why don’t we all go have a seat in the living room and you can tell us why you’re here. Would anyone like a drink?”

Jayme shook his head. “None for me, thanks, ma’am.”

Alayne moved into the living room without answering as Jayme and her parents followed behind. She sat on the couch next to Jayme. Wynn and Bryan sat on the love seat. Wynn picked at the hemline of her t-shirt. “Is something the matter, Alayne? You seem ... subdued.”

Alayne bit back the anger, forcing it somewhere deep and dark inside of her to be spooled out slowly rather than in one violent outburst. She took a deep breath. “You’re probably wondering how we got here.” She rubbed her moist palms on her jeans. “Marysa gave me a mirror for Christmas; it—it acts as a portal. We just now used it to go from my dorm room to our living room here.”

Surprised exclamations burst from her parents’ mouths, and Wynn’s face turned white as a sheet. Alayne took a deep breath, deciding to directly address the unspoken ugliness in the room.

Words poured out in a flood. “Mom, I know you’re an Elemental. I don’t understand why you thought you had to lie to me all these years. Why would you ever think that you couldn’t tell your daughter something that important? Did you think I would think less of you, or that I would regret you or something?” The lump in her throat made it difficult to speak, but she forced the words out anyway. “I trusted you.
I trusted you
, and you’re nothing but a liar.”

“
A
layne
.” Bryan’s voice snapped across the living room. “You will not speak to your mother like that.”

Alayne was past the point of caring. All the frustration, the doubt, the panic, the fear that she’d stored inside of her for a semester came flooding from her mouth in a torrent. “
Why
?” She slung her braid over her shoulder. “Could you not trust me with the truth? Why did you never tell me that you were an Elemental—a Water-Wielder, of all things? Why have you pretended all these years to be someone you’re not?” She launched herself to her feet, pacing the living room. “I don’t even know you, Mom. No, don’t deny it; that’s exactly what you did. You. Are. A. Fraud.”

Wynne blanched. She pulled in a shaking breath. “I’ll tell you everything, Alayne, I promise.”

Alayne wasn’t mollified. She turned her glare on her father. “Are you in on this, Dad? Are you an Elemental, too, and just forgot to tell me?”

Bryan shook his head. “No, I was never lucky enough to inherit any abilities. I’m a Natural Human. Your mother is an Elemental.”

“Are you ashamed of that?” Alayne snapped. “Is that why you couldn’t let me in on this little secret?”

“No, no, Layne, of course we’re not ashamed,” Bryan said, glancing quickly at Wynn. “The truth is, Bug, that it’s not a common thing. Elementals don’t generally marry Naturals and vice-versa, and we’ve gotten some flack for that, but ashamed? Never.”

Alayne folded her arms defensively over her chest and glanced at Jayme where he sat in front of the tightly drawn shades of the living room. He didn’t seem fazed by the awkward situation.

Alayne rubbed her hands along her upper arms. “You’ve always told me that Elementalism isn’t inherited. Was that was a lie too?”

Wynn took a deep breath. “That part wasn’t a lie. Listen, Layne, just let me explain.”

Alayne threw open her arms. “You think? Yeah, that’d be nice—an explanation after seventeen years of hiding the truth from me.”

Wynn clasped her hands in front of her, her gaze not quite meeting her daughter’s. “Layne, I need to tell you I’m sorry that it’s been necessary to keep my abilities a secret. I never liked the secrecy, and I’ve been tempted many times to tell you everything.”

“Why didn’t you?”

“Because I value your life too much.”

“What in CommonEarth does
that
mean?”

“Blue skies, Alayne, lower your voice. You may as well invite the neighbors to this discussion at your volume. Calm down.” Wynn shook her head in exasperation. “You’re doing like you do when you get mad—pacing and only hearing portions of what I’m trying to say. Just—calm down and listen, okay?”

Alayne glared at her mother. She felt betrayed, and a small part of her
wanted
to hold on to a grudge. But she also knew that fuming about it would delay the answers she so desperately needed. She planted her feet on the carpet and faced her mother squarely. “Fine. I’m listening.”

Wynn glanced at Jayme. “I apologize for this, Jayme. It’s—not how I would have imagined welcoming Alayne’s first boyfriend to our home.”

Jayme smiled and shrugged. “I’m just here to support Alayne, ma’am. Don’t worry about me.”

Wynn hesitated. The clock ticked in the stillness.

“Oh, for the love of all that’s holy, Mom, Jayme is not going to go blab.”

Wynn flushed. “When I was a student at Clayborne, my best friend was named Patience Manders. Yes, Professor Manders’s sister.” She glanced at Alayne. “She and I were in the same class, so we did everything together. All our classes, all our extra-curricular activities, everything. We were two peas in a pod.” She smiled wistfully. “Then, about the time graduation rolled around, I met your dad. He was the son of one of the groundskeepers at Clayborne, and we started seeing each other. Of course, that took time away from Patience, and she got a little jealous.”

Bryan snorted. “A
lot
jealous,” he muttered.

Wynn shrugged. “She
did
try to get your grandfather fired. She had just accepted a job as a professor at the school, teaching Throw-Casting, and she tried to use her position to make Heath resign. Of course, Heath would have none of it. He wasn’t going anywhere, and he told her so—right in the middle of a staff meeting.”

Bryan shook his head. “Not the wisest move my dad ever made. He went storming in and started yelling at Patience and telling her exactly what he thought of her and anyone related to her.”

“It didn’t go over so well with the staff. The story went to the board, and Heath was relieved of his job.” Wynn glanced at Bryan. “They offered the position to your dad.”

“Wait a second. My grandfather got fired, and Dad, his son, had to step in for him?” Alayne asked, unbelieving.

“Yep.” Wynn straightened and continued. “At any rate, the relationship between Patience and me certainly did not get better as a result of that whole mess. We had gotten to the point where we didn’t even talk to each other. Meanwhile, Patience met someone, married him and had a baby, and your dad and I got married and moved in with Heath in the cottage where he lived on the grounds of Clayborne. I got pregnant with you almost right away.” Wynn smiled in her daughter’s direction.

“You were born with red fuzz on your head, Layne. It used to stick out in all directions; you looked like a little peach.” Wynn laughed softly and then sobered. “But then Heath died, and we started struggling to make ends meet. Especially after you were born, things just weren’t coming together.”

Wynn paused, lost in thought. After a moment, she sighed and continued. “Patience tried to reconcile with me; she wanted to be friends again, so she offered to help us any way she could—swap baby-sitting, playdates, that sort of thing. She tried to bridge the gap between us, but your dad and I weren’t—very forgiving.”

Alayne tried to imagine her parents as hard, bitter, angry people, but couldn’t force them into that mold. She shook her head.

Wynn abruptly stood and went into the kitchen. She returned with a glass of water, sipping it as she leaned against the door frame. Her face was relaxed, more so than Alayne could ever remember seeing it. Her gaze was distant as she peeled away layers of memory like onion skins. The remains were potent, stinging, and raw.

She continued in a voice coated with feeling. “Patience lost her husband, and I suppose I started to mellow toward her. She sent me a note one night saying she had a make-up gift for me. She wanted me to meet her in the tunnels under the school, because the gift was a secret. Well, you know me and my curiosity.”

“Do I?” The question was an accusation. “Do I really know you, Mom?”

Wynn flinched. She took another sip of water and continued. “I decided to see what she had for me. That night, I sneaked into the tunnels and waited in the cold and damp for Patience to show up.”

“And she never did,” Alayne guessed.

“No, no, she showed up. She was dragging this huge monstrosity of a package with her. I had no idea what it was, but I soon found out. She let the packaging fall away, and there was a mirror.” Wynn’s eyes sharpened on Alayne’s face. “An odd-looking mirror; it had a frame around it that looked like flames—red and orange and brown.”

Alayne’s eyes widened. “My mirror.”

Wynn nodded. “Yes, apparently. You’re going to have to tell me how you came across that mirror again. I was under the impression that it was long gone. But let me finish my story first.”

Alayne didn’t move. Her anger only mounted as her mother spoke. How much her parents had hidden from her.

“I stood there and stared at the mirror and then asked Patience something smart, like ‘Why’d you bring me a ridiculous-looking mirror?’

“Patience had had enough. She leaned the mirror against the wall, walked over to me, and cracked me across the cheek with the flat of her hand. It stung, and my—my temper flared.” Wynn shook her head, regret staining her expression. “I wanted to retaliate, to hurt her like she’d just hurt me. I grabbed the edge of the mirror and flung it to the ground. The shattering glass stopped both of us in our tracks. Patience lifted the mirror, and I’ll never forget the way her face just ... crumpled.”

Wynn fell silent for a moment, remembering. “Of course, I felt terrible. She’d gone to all this trouble to bring me a present, and there I was throwing a fit, not really for any reason other than the fact that I was still mad at her.”

Wynn made a face and continued. “I apologized, and she nodded. We didn’t say much at first, just sat there for a long time together. When we finally did start talking, we worked out all our grievances against each other. When we left, I remember feeling like I’d gotten my best friend back again. She gave me one of the broken pieces of mirror before I left; she pressed it into my hands and said, ‘I know it’s not what I had originally intended to give you, but it would make me so happy if you would just take it.’ I couldn’t see much use in a broken triangle of glass, but I wasn’t going to fight with her after we’d made up.”

“What happened to the mirror?” Jayme spoke from the couch. Alayne jumped; she’d nearly forgotten his presence behind her.

“We left it down there, but Patience brought me back the next day to explain its properties. As you’ve discovered, the mirror, when it is whole, opens a portal from one place to another. I asked Patience where in the world she had come up with a magic mirror, and she told me her story.”

Alayne returned to the couch to sit next to Jayme. He slid his fingers through hers and squeezed her hand. She could almost hear his unspoken words.
Be calm, Al. Let her explain.
Tension stiffened her body. She didn’t want to be calm. She wanted to hold on to her anger. Her mother deserved it for the years of deceit.

“Of course, you know about the Vale,” Wynn continued.

Alayne pulled in a sharp breath. Jayme’s grasp on her hand tightened.

Wynn tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “The last man to ‘own’ the Vale for any length of time was a man named Quynn Flanng; he lived close to two hundred years ago. He was the one who finally recognized the precipice on which the world teetered as each country fought for control of it. He and his four sons set up a sort of quarantine around the Vale. His sons built a Temple in the eastern mountains of the Continent, and Quynn Flanng placed the Vale in the Temple and set his sons as Guardians of the Vale for all their lives.”

“So Quynn Flanng was the first Guardian?”

Again, Wynn shook her head. “No, not a Guardian. He died almost immediately after he gave up possession of the Vale. Since his death, the Vale has stayed under the surveillance of the Guardians, his sons and grandsons.”

“Where in the eastern mountains is the Vale’s Temple?” Alayne asked eagerly, already thinking of Marysa, although determined not to say what the Casters had asked her to do. No amount of pleading to return would persuade her parents after that. Macy Foy had said the Vale was at Clayborne, but maybe she was wrong. This might be a lead that would play out.

“Only the Guardians know. It’s a closely guarded secret.”

Alayne sat back in disappointment and frustration. At last she sighed. “So what’s this have to do with the mirror and Patience?”

“The mirror is tied in with the Vale. The Guardians used the mirror as one of their major forms of protection. It sat in the Temple, in the same room where the Vale rested. The Guardians could keep watch for threats to the Vale through the mirror; it would show them anyone who had made plans to attack, and as you know, it’s a quick trip to various parts of CommonEarth with the mirror. The Guardians would keep an eye on who was plotting what, and if the situation would escalate, they would travel through the mirror to wherever these people were and kill them all.”

Alayne’s jaw tightened. “They sound bloody.”

Wynn’s eyebrows arched. “They were, and for good reason. The world wanted control of the Vale, and the wars it generated were not trivialities. The Vale drew people to it like a bee to pollen, and the Guardians kept the Vale from others to—keep peace, in a way.”

“It could do that? Draw people to it, I mean?” Alayne asked.

“The Vale has many powers, Layne. That’s just one of them. Legend says that it has
healing properties as well, I suppose because it transfers some of itself to whomever possesses it.”

Alayne struggled to understand the enormity of what her mother said, but the picture felt too big, too jarring.

Wynn went on. “I suppose they are still there, the Guardians, though for the most part, they’ve disappeared. I think they still watch the Vale, but no one knows for sure. When the Vale was stolen from the Temple, the Guardians deserted the place, probably spreading out to try to find it. No one knows what happened to them after that.”

“The Vale was stolen?” Jayme’s voice again jolted Alayne. She was lost in her thoughts.

“That’s where Patience comes in. She was the one who stole it. With the mirror and all, I have no idea how she did it. She never told me, and—she died before I could ask.”

This part of the story, at least, matched up with what Alayne had learned in Professor Manders’s office. She shuddered as she remembered his description of Patience’s last struggle in the tunnels beneath Clayborne.

Alayne pulled herself back to the conversation. “You’ve explained about the Vale and the mirror, but I still want to know why you thought it was so necessary to lie to me about you being an Elemental?” Her voice was hard.

Wynn flushed. “I’ve been working up to that. When Patience tried to give me the mirror, you were almost a year old.” She paused, swallowing. She quietly set her cup on the counter in the kitchen and sank into her seat beside Bryan. Her eyes watered.

“One stormy night, Patience showed up on our doorstep in the pouring rain, soaked to the skin, sobbing and blubbering about how he was after her. I had no idea what she was talking about—it had been a couple of months since I’d seen her because she’d gone home over summer break, so I felt like I had lost track of what was happening in her life. I dragged her in the door, and your dad barred it and locked the windows while I made some hot tea and tried to get out of her what was wrong.”