Broken (12 page)

“Is it spying on you?” she asked.

Colin did not reply. Was it safe to? Was his every move being watched? Did they know about Catrina? Did they know that Corny had somehow helped him, even in his seemingly crazy state of mind?

“I need to get out of here!” Colin suddenly blurted. “I feel like I can’t… breathe.”

“Let’s go then,” she said.

“Where to? It’s not safe to leave the meadow.”

“Maybe your book can help us with that.”

“Actually… you’re right!” he exclaimed. “If I can make you invisible, why not myself too!” He then proceeded to use the same spell on himself as he did on Catrina and they rushed hand in hand out of the meadow. He was sure, now, to always add the Abdo before using any spell, to keep the traces of magic hidden from anyone who might be tracking it.

“We could have just stayed,” she said, after a short walk through the dense forest.

“I know. No one can see or hear us. I just needed to get away from there.”

“Sad about Corny?”

“Sad. Confused. Torn. About Corny, about…” he paused, sitting on a fallen log. “Catrina, I need to know. Do you know who left you in the cave? Or were you telling Ivan the truth when you said you didn’t know.”

She sighed.

“The truth. But I have my suspicions,” she added.

“Juliska Blackwell,” he confirmed.

“Yes. But not just her, there were others, too. I don’t think she acted alone.”

“But why? Why would they do that to you? You’re harmless!”

“Not everyone might agree with that Colin.”

He stood and took her hand.

“You can trust me with anything,” he told her. “If they think you’re the Projector, I will prove them wrong!”

Catrina’s eyes began to moisten.

“Oh, Colin. I…”

A branch snapped nearby. Instinctively, Colin grasped Catrina and started running. They stopped only once they had run so far, that they began to fear they might get lost. Colin wondered if maybe getting lost wouldn’t actually be a good thing.

62

“It’s pretty dark in here,” noted Catrina.

“We’ll be okay,” insisted Colin. “I’ll find the way back.” A rustling in the tree above his head startled him.

“Bird!”

The mysterious bird human rested on a branch, in bird form. It nodded hello and then flew down.

“I guess I should stop being surprised when you pop in to visit,” Colin said, feeling slightly more cheerful. Bird chirped his response in a manner that Colin somehow understood meant he was trying to tell him something.

“You could just transform?” Colin suggested. To his and Catrina’s surprise, Bird did transform, but at a distance and behind a tree.

“Sorry. I can’t let you see me,” he spoke. “But there’s something I need to show you, and I can only see you in bird form, as you have a cloaking spell on you.”

“I’d forgotten about the cloaking spell,” said Colin. “It honestly didn’t even dawn on me. So you can see us, in your bird form, but not your human form?”

“Yes. Correct.”

Colin and Catrina had the same terrifying thought. Pajak was not human.

“We’ll worry about that later,” Colin whispered. “What do you need to show us, Bird?”

“Stay cloaked,” he first warned. “No matter what, do not show yourselves.” The flapping of wings overhead indicated that Bird had transformed back into his flying form. He flapped and pointed his beak, motioning for them to follow.

They trudged carefully through the woods, following Bird. They did not follow a path, so progress was at times very slow. Eventually, however, the forest began to lighten. Bird flew to a low tree branch, next to Colin’s face. He pointed his beak toward the light, still chirping.

Catrina smiled.

“What?” questioned Colin.

“His chirping is musical. I’m starting to understand what he’s saying,” she said.

“How?” asked Colin.

Before she could answer, voices echoed into the forest.

“He is warning us again, to remain cloaked,” whispered Catrina, “as we are not alone.” They crept cautiously ahead.

“Another meadow,” Colin noted.

“Stripers,” Catrina then added. “What are they building?”

“I can’t tell from here. Let’s get a little closer,” he said.

They crawled as close to the edge as they dared, being careful not to snap any branches or rustle any bushes. They might be invisible, but so could be the chameleon-like Stripers, and now that they knew the invisibility spell had limitations, they knew they should not take unnecessary chances.

Once in better view, Colin knew instantly what they were building.

“Pyres,” he spoke ominously.

63

Bird landed on the ground softly, next to them and nodded in agreement. A sinking feeling nearly made Colin become sick. What were they planning? This meadow was easily twice as wide as the meadow the Svoda camped in, and pyres dotted nearly the entire space. Colin tried to count but lost track after forty-three.

Even more suspicious, was that in the center of each pyre, shot up a single pole, with tethers clearly meant for tying up something or someone.

“I think we need to leave,” Colin advised. “I don’t know what this means, but we definitely need to warn the others!”

“I agree,” Catrina said. “Something about this is very wrong.” Bird led the way and bade them farewell at the edge of the Svoda’s meadow. Colin took off the cloaking spell that made him invisible. He stepped out from behind a tent and directly into Ivan Crane.

“Colin! Hello!” Ivan said, astonished at the sudden appearance. He also nodded cautiously at the emptiness next to Colin, assuming Catrina stood by his side.

“She says hi, but never mind that right now. I need your help! Is there somewhere we can talk?” he whispered.

Ivan’s face turned serious and he motioned for them to follow. He stopped at the Mochrie tent, which was empty.

“Nowhere is truly safe, but this should suffice.”

Colin undid the spell on Catrina so Ivan could see her.

“We left the meadow,” Colin admitted.

“Why should it not surprise me that you’re breaking the rules?” Ivan said dryly.

“Doesn’t matter right now, Ivan. We came across the treasure hunters. They’re up to something.”

“Something very bad,” Catrina added.

Colin then explained the field of pyres, and as he did so, Ivan’s face turned at first concerned and then furious.

“There is definitely more going on than the Stripers are admitting,” he agreed.

“The problem is, how do we warn everyone? We weren’t supposed to leave the meadow…

We shouldn’t have seen anything… ”

Ivan and Colin stared at each other for a long while.

“The Banon must be made aware. This is too important to hide,” Ivan finally spoke.

“Wait!” Catrina said. “I think I have an idea.”

Colin and Ivan listened as she explained.

“Will she go along with it?” asked Ivan, after Catrina had finished.

“She’ll have to!” Colin said. “It’s the only safe way.” Colin then attempted to reach Meghan through his mind. She did not answer.

Ivan looked at Colin with a questioning face. Colin surrendered to the moment.

“Meghan and I, we can hear each others’ thoughts,” he admitted.

“That actually explains a lot,” Ivan said.

64

Colin was not sure why he let Ivan in on their secret, but thus far, though temperamental, Ivan had never done anything to show he could not be trusted.

“She’s not answering right now, though,” Colin told them.

“She is training with the Banon,” Ivan replied. I just left there when I happened upon you.” He then darted to the door. “I will make an excuse to return and somehow tell Meghan to …

read your mind, or however it works. This cannot wait. Lives could depend on this information.” Ivan dashed away.

Colin recast his spell on Catrina and departed the Mochries’ tent, heading for Billie’s. With each step he took, he kept a wary eye searching for Pajak. All he hoped was that this news of the pyres would be enough to sidetrack Juliska Blackwell, until he had a chance to deal with the spying spider that most likely, had seen Catrina.

11

After catching up with his parents, Sebastien Jendaya found himself standing at the front door of Amelia Cobb’s office.

“Come in,” he heard her say.

He put on a smile and entered.

“Please, sit, Sebastien. Would you like anything to drink, or eat?” she asked, refilling a coffee mug.

Sebastien patted his stomach.

“I think my mother just fed me all of the meals I missed over the last couple of weeks, and the ones I will most likely miss over the coming weeks,” he replied.

Amelia chuckled.

“I really lucked out with you, Sebastien. When I planted you as a young boy, to befriend the Jacoby twins, I had no idea what an asset you would become to me.” Sebastien just nodded. You neglected to tell me the part about how they would suffer…

“And yet I feel like I have stolen your childhood,” she admitted apologetically.

“Like you always say, we all have our part to play. And for mine, I will do whatever I can to help my friends.”

“Yes. It at least gives me slight comfort that you became so close over the years.” And that is somehow supposed to make all of this okay? Sebastien reined in his thoughts.

This was the wrong place to let his true feelings show.

“I’ve had contact,” Sebastien informed her. “I got a call from Meghan. Her skills as a Firemancer are advancing.”

“Splendid!” Amelia cried. “This is good news indeed. And we needed some, after what’s been going on these last weeks.”

65

“My dad told me about the Projector. Has any decision been made?”

“Debates are ongoing. The entire community has weighed in at this point, but everyone has a different view on the matter, as I’m sure you can imagine. But our goals remain the same.

The only question is, if this Projector can get us there, or will keep us from succeeding.”

“Frankly, I don’t see how it’s possible that a Projector could be of any use. I only know what I learned in school of course,” Sebastien added.

“And many agree with you, my young friend. It is difficult to see how harnessing a Projector’s power could help us return magic to its full glory. I fear the child is lost. If not by our hand, then another’s.”

“It’s hard to imagine,” he said, “having magic return. Do you think the world is really ready for it?”

“This is why we have worked so hard to get people in the right places, Sebastien. To be certain that when we heal the world, and return magic, that we can control the situation.

We will be ready to teach and return this world to what it once was. Won’t it be nice not to hide anymore?”

Sebastien thought about that question for a long minute before answering. He felt as though he had been hiding his entire life.

“That will be nice, yes.”

His thoughts shifted to his new quest and the secrets he had discovered. Not having to hide, lie or betray would be very nice, but not for the reasons Amelia Cobb had stated.

Sebastien did not know if returning magic was a good idea or not, but since the revelation that his friends were involved in Amelia’s plans, and from the little information he had been able to squeeze from her or his parents, his gut told him his friends were in serious trouble.

What Sebastien did not understand is how their Uncle Arnon could have allowed all of this to happen… then again, it was likely that Arnon had no more idea than he did, as to what Amelia was planning.

“Well, onto business,” Amelia continued. “As Meghan is now calling, I think it best to wait until she contacts you again. From what my other informant has told me, she is not yet ready to know the truth, and therefore, what she will need to do. They feel the time is nearing, however.”

Typical vague answer … Sebastien wanted to kick himself. You need to keep it together until you know what’s really going on!

“Until then, Sebastien, continue with your current work.”

“Very well,” Sebastien said. He could not get out of her office fast enough.

The one thing he was sure of: he was running out of time to help Meghan.

And what of Colin? Amelia never mentioned him in any specific manner, but he could feel that she was hiding something…

Sebastien wished now, more than ever, that he had come clean with the twins. He wished he had told them everything he knew about magic and who they were believed to be. He wished he had given them some warning about what was to come.

All I can do is try and help them now … and hope that I can…

66

Sebastien could not wait to leave home, again. He knew, however, that he needed to look pleased to be home and not in a hurry to leave… other than looking eager to get back to work.

Now that he knew Meghan’s mother was alive, he wanted to disappear. To take what he knew and help his friends. He feared that what he knew was not enough. He could, at least, tell them they could go home whenever they wanted… tell them that their Uncle Arnon was …

“You know you have to stay,” he told himself as he approached home. “Meghan’s mother is right. There is so much more at stake, and I can’t mess this up!” He took out the candle meant for Meghan.

His lives were colliding.

His job for Ameila Cobb.

His friendship with the twins.

His quest to save them.

His duty to his family and his fellow banished Svoda.

The job he had been trained for his entire life… to befriend, report and eventually, to betray …

12

Ivan poked his head into the Banon’s tent. Jelen and Jenner did not question his return, seeing as Ivan visited a few times each day.

“Pantin, Hollee,” he said.

She perked up at seeing his face.

“Back so soon,” she joked.

“I had to pass back by and ran into Ms. Jacoby’s brother. Told him I’d pass along a message.”

“The Banon just departed, the meeting starts soon you know,” she reminded. “Meghan’s in her room,” she pointed, while organizing a stack of papers.

“Thank you!” Ivan rapped at the entrance to Meghan’s room.

“Come in,” her voice called out. Meghan sat on the floor with Nona by her side, reading.