Passion (2 page)

“Don’t
worry,” General Adar said.  “Torrid is a capable warrior and a smart young
man.  I would not have sent him to you were he not one of my best.  He’s not
apt to get caught and if he does, I have every faith in his ability to get
free.”

“There
were Magical Ones everywhere.  It was impossible to avoid them,” I went on, too
distraught to take comfort in his words of reassurance.

“I’ve
seen Torrid fight his way out of some pretty tight spots,” Rowan said. 

I
looked at him, wanting to feel as confident as he sounded.  “If he isn’t
captured somewhere, why didn’t he come help me?  Why didn’t he get me out of
the arena?”

General
Adar and Prince Rowan gazed at each other. They had no answer.

The
roar of the crumbling Coliseum took over, accented with the cheers of delight
from newly freed prisoners.

On
the field below a new battle was taking place.  General Adar’s soldiers fought
valiantly against Rogue Magical Ones.  Shattering glass fell over them all,
drowning out the cries of death and pain.

Rowan
gazed at me, his eyes filled with empathy and kindness.  Turning to his
general, he said, “I’ll see what I can do and return with an update.”

General
Adar nodded.  Once alone he turned to me.  “Remove that fretful frown from your
brow, daughter.  Worry never served a purpose.”  He paused and contemplated me
a moment.  “Though Rowan may see in you a resemblance to me, I look at you and
see only your mother.  It amazes me how much you look like her; beautiful,
fragile and yet so strong.”

I
bit my lip, not wanting to blurt out the questions that still filled my head. 
Why had he never come around?  Why hadn’t he been a part of my life?

“Despite
the laws meant to keep me, a djinn, from loving a human, I fell deeply in love
with your mother and still love her to this day.”

I
could hold back on my questions no longer.  “Then where have you been all this
time?  You're a djinn.  I know you have the power to do what you want.  Why did
you never come around?  Why did you not come see me?”

A
pained expression made General Adar suddenly look older.  “My powers allowed me
to get close enough to watch you grow up, but not so close to put you in
danger. I can only communicate afar with your mother. She has not seen me in
all these years in my natural form, as I am now.”

“What
do you mean?  Like a crystal ball or something?”

“No,
I was right there, on the periphery of your life, though sometimes I found
myself right there in front of you.”

“I
don’t follow.”

“When
I could, I slipped into Arcadia from the Nethers.  Over the years I’ve assumed
the identity of a school janitor, a neighbor’s gardener and even a stock boy at
the drug store.  You probably don’t remember, but when you were seven years old
your mother trusted you to get her medicine when she fell ill.  For a few weeks
you were a regular and I started working there.”

The
vague memory came alive in my mind.  Mom had caught a virus that’d left her
throat constantly parched and painful.  She constantly sought relief, trying
various cough drops, cough syrups, even suppositories.

“You
were the tall man with the white over coat who’d suggested I buy her the lemon
herbal tea,” I said with dreamy recollection.

He
beamed.

The
memory unlocked another and another.  “You're also the one, who went up to get
my ball in fifth grade, aren’t you?  A friend had kicked it too high and it had
landed on the school roof.  We couldn’t get it down.  You came out of nowhere,
found out what the problem was then disappeared around the corner for barely a
minute and returned seconds later with the ball in your hands.  We all marveled
at how quickly you’d gotten the ball, but you had a quick answer and we didn’t
question it.  We were all too eager to get back to playing.”

Chuckling,
he gazed at me.  “I told you there was a secret service elevator for school
employees only.”

I
laughed and felt closer to him already.  “Yeah, that’s right.  We didn’t even
go look to see what elevator you meant.”  In my heart I knew there was still
something missing.  He’d been there, in my life, but he’d not really been
there.

“I
also learned a lot about you, your accomplishments, your goals… your loves…
from your mother.”

“You
spoke to her?”

“Often.”

Though
I knew I should be mature and grown up about it all, I couldn’t help but feel
cheated.  He’d been there, so close, within reach… He’d been in contact with my
mother, yet I’d always been clueless about him all my childhood.

“Don’t
pout, Kama. I only spoke to her through her dreams, but I wished it was in person.
There were too many barriers between us, especially with Pim Seer always around
her, and the situation in Arcadia. I had to tread carefully or rouse suspicion
to what we were and what the djinns were planning. If anyone knew I had set
foot in Arcadia, Pim Seer would have sent all of his Catchers out to comb the
city in full force. I couldn’t risk jeopardizing our mission and my duty as
General. I know this is all a lot to take in, but, believe me, everything I did
was with your best interest at heart.”

“How
can you say that?  I grew up without a father.  I needed you and you played
some silly game of hide and seek with me.  Mom knew I wanted to know more about
my father, but she said nothing.”

“Kama,
what would you have her say?  Yes, your father is alive and well, and working
at the school you go to?  That he’s a djinn and can only see you from afar?  We
were in an impossible situation and we dealt with it the best way we knew how. 
Had your mother told you anything it would have shattered the innocent and
perfect childhood you had.  You can’t blame your mother for wanting to keep you
as happy as she could.”

I
nodded, knowing he was right, but still clinging to the hurt child who’d wanted
her daddy.

“We
both wanted to make sure you had fond memories of your childhood.  To expose
who we really were – who I was – would have meant exposing you to the truth
about Arcadia.  It would have meant exposing you to war, poverty and the
ugliness outside Arcadia.”

“Yet
here you all are destroying Arcadia.  If you were so intent on ensuring I had a
good life, a promising future, why ruin it now?”

“A
promising future?  Did you not receive an unpleasant surprise when you read
your Life’s Plan?  Your mother said you were distraught beyond consoling.”

“All
right,” I said with a conceding nod.  “Maybe my promising future was bruised by
the Committee, but it would still have been better than the impossible living
conditions outside Arcadia.  I know the hardships and suffering that greet
those who leave here.  Friends of mine have lived it firsthand.  They returned
to Arcadia – snuck back in – and were barely recognizable.  They were
skeletons.”

“I’m
sorry to hear that.”

“And
what about all the other young adult Arcadians who are now ready to set out on
their lives; those who received the Life’s Plan they expected?  Arcadia is
being destroyed beyond repair and so are their lives.”

“Would
you prefer the illusion of Arcadia’s perfection continue?  And at what cost? 
There are Magical Ones who are being kept here against their will.  Their lives
aren’t much better than what your friends met outside Arcadia.  It may all look
neat and clean and pleasant, but they’re empty.  They’re living shells.  Yes,
there are some Rogue Magical Ones who’ve abused their roles in Arcadia, but
most are prisoners of their own powers.  Most live sad and hopeless lives as
they try to keep up with the constant demands of their enslavers.  Is that what
you want?”

“No,”
I said softly, casting my gaze to the floor.  “Of course not.”

“You
have to trust, Kama, that we have no desire to destroy Arcadia nor the citizens
who’ve been led to believe in the illusion that was created for them.  We
understand they are innocent in all this.  Our only desire is to free all the
enslaved djinns and to let Arcadia go on in a more sane, healthy and viable
way.  Is that unreasonable?”

“No. 
It makes perfect sense.  I’m sorry if I sounded ungrateful or lacking in
compassion for the plight of the djinns.”

“I
know your only intention is to save your friends; I know you care very much for
Liam, Pim’s son, and I know you want to save the many innocent citizens of
Arcadia.  That is our mission in addition to freeing djinns, and we believe it
can all be done.  We believe we can make Arcadia a truly ideal place… for
everyone… equally.”

“You
know about Liam?”

“He
may be the son of my rival, my nemesis, if you will, but I know Liam to be a
fine young man; a young man who loves you very much.”

“He
is, he does and I want to do what I can to help him, and the others.”  I
glanced up at him, feeling like a small child in light of his wisdom and
power.  “What can I do to help?”

Before
General Adar could answer, a new wave of shouting began from another group.

I
turned to see Rowan arrive with Matthew and Jocelyn.  Having been imprisoned in
one of the cells in the Coliseum for a while, they were emaciated, their eyes sunk
in and the skin on their cheekbones pulled taunt.  Thrilled to see them again,
I ran to them and pulled their thin and fragile bodies into my arms, kissing
their cheeks.  “I can’t believe they were able to find you.”

“And
just in time, too,” Rowan said.

I
heard the dread in his voice and knew that not all was well.  He’d found these
two friends, but…

“What
about Torrid?” I said, my eyes boring through his, daring him to tell me he’d
found him safe and sound.

Rowan
shifted his gaze to General Adar with momentary uncertainty then turned his
resigned glance to me.  “The Catchers got him,” he said in a blunt, matter of
fact and official tone.  “You haven’t heard from him because they caught him
just as he was attempting to come save you.”

I
wanted to scream at him and slap the formal military stance out of him, but I
just stared in disbelief.  “What do we do now?” I mumbled, the urge to cry
forcing its way up my throat and making it painful to talk.

“We
get him out,” Rowan said with the same military stance and firm conviction. 
“We simply go in and get him out.”

Chapter 2

G
eneral Adar straightened his shoulders, put on
his best commanding face, and gave one final sweeping glance at the Coliseum. 
“We’ll have to start bringing the freed prisoners to our camp.  Make sure they
have plenty of food and water.  See what you can do about getting them some
warm clothing as well.”

“Yes,
General,” Rowan said.

“And
take good care of Kama’s friends.  They’ve been through enough hardship for
ones so young.”

“Yes,
Sir.  I’ll get on it right away.”  Rowan turned away and instantly started
giving out orders to the soldiers around him.  Without question and without
hesitation the soldiers moved quickly to carry out every order.

Rowan
came to my side and put a gentle hand to my shoulder.  “I’ve put my best men on
the task of caring for your friends and giving them the best treatment.”

 “Thanks. 
That’s one less thing to worry about.”  I turned to Matthew and Jocelyn. 
“Everything will be fine from now on.  I’ll find you guys again once things
calm down.”

“Good
luck, Kama,” Jocelyn said.  “I hope you find both Torrid and Liam, and I hope
you find them well.”

“Thank
you.”

Nodding
as they were escorted away, they both smiled, though weakly.

In
quick order the Coliseum was emptied of its innocent prisoners, leaving only
the Rogue Magical Ones to battle with djinn soldiers.  Around them the Coliseum
walls began to give way.

The
balcony beneath our feet shook, promising its eminent crash to the arena floor

“You’d
better hurry, Rowan,” General Adar said as he inspected the thickening cracks
in the walls around them.  “We may have underestimated Kama’s magic.  The
Coliseum isn’t merely breaking open from the roof to let us in.  It’s
completely falling apart.”

“What
do you mean, my magic?  I didn’t do this,” I argued.

“But
you did, dear daughter.  Your desire to stop this insanity, to destroy the
Coliseum made it happen.  I can see you underestimate your capabilities, but
your magical powers are much stronger than you think.  I hope you’ll realize
that now.”

I
looked around me through new eyes, seeing the destruction I’d brought on this
arena of blood and death.  “I didn’t even really consciously think of…”

“Destroying
it?  It just as well that you did.  By opening the roof you gave us access to
something we never could have entered otherwise.  And by going so far as to
destroy the entire Coliseum, well, I don’t think anyone will miss it.”

I
let out a small snort of amusement.  “I never would have thought…”

“Well,
you better think now,” General Adar said with pride.  “I always imagined my
daughter would have a degree of power, a certain capacity to do a little magic,
and when I set out to have you shatter the field, I knew you’d succeed, but
you’ve surpassed all my expectations, and I’m ecstatic.”

“Does
that mean that by merely desiring something, I can make it happen?”  It seemed
like a dangerous power to have.

General
Adar pointed to the large cement blocks that were falling from all around the
Coliseum.  Columns collapsed and the floors over the underbelly broke apart. 
“That is the result of your desire, Kama. It’s also the level of passion you
felt for your desire. The more you have, the more power you give it.”

“Then
can I desire to have Torrid by my side, safe and sound, and he’ll appear.”