The Cypher Wheel (16 page)

Etyran closed his eyes and shook his head. “No, she
lies,” he said before pushing through the equally confused crowd
and stumbling out of the main chamber through the tunnel towards
their rooms.

“Etyran?” Jocelyn called and took off after him.

Faedra looked up at her Guardian who was now
restraining the see-through prisoner by her wrists. “What is going
on?” she asked.

“Well, I cannot be certain, but I would hazard a
guess that our friend is no longer alone in the realms.”

Taking a while for the penny to drop, Faedra
responded with, “Huh?”

“It would seem that our new friend here,” Faen dipped
his head to acknowledge the person he was holding, “is also a
Lightbender.”

Faedra's brain caught up and her eyes opened wide
“No!”

“Yes,” responded the bodiless voice.

Faedra stared, speechless, at the space in front of
her Guardian for a moment before her brain kicked in. She looked
around the crowd of bemused faces, searching out one in particular.
She saw the one she was looking for in the front row, standing in
front of Allora and Skylar. Faedra moved towards her.

“Carina, do you have somewhere secure that we can
hold our uninvited guest?”

“Yes, we do.”

“Faen, please could you take our invisible guest and
follow Carina. Stay with her, I'll be back in a little while.”
Faedra made a move to exit, which prompted the gathered crowd to
part swiftly to either side of her.

“Wait, where are you going?” Faen asked.

Faedra stopped and turned to face him. “I need to
talk to Etyran.”

Faen nodded before moving his captive around to
follow Carina in the opposite direction of his charge.

A few minutes later, Faedra was climbing the ladder
that led to Etyran's room. When she got to the top, she saw him
sitting on his bed. He was slumped over, his arms resting on his
thighs, head hung low. Jocelyn was sitting next to him, her hand on
his back. She looked up as Faedra made an appearance in the opening
to the room and gave the Custodian a weak smile.

“Knock, knock,” Faedra said, announcing her presence
to Etyran.

Etyran breathed a heavy sigh and slowly lifted his
head.

“I suppose it would be a stupid question to ask if
you know anything about that girl down there?”

“Yep, stupid question,” Etyran replied. “Until just a
few moments ago, I thought I was the only one of us left.”

Faedra felt confusion and then a stronger feeling of
hope coming from the Lightbender. She knew then that Jocelyn would
be in for some disappointment and gave a heavyhearted sigh herself.
She never liked to see anyone she loved get hurt, but, in this
case, it seemed inevitable. Faedra's thoughts were halted when
Etyran suddenly sat bolt upright, his face resolute.

He pushed himself off the bed and made towards the
entrance. “I need to talk to her.”

Faedra stepped in front of him, blocking his path.
“Oh, no you don't.”

“Let me pass, Faedra,” Etyran said, his features hard
as rock.

“No. You need to calm down, and she needs to calm
down. You can talk to her tomorrow.”

“You can't stop me,” Etyran threatened, pulling
himself up to his full height as he crossed his arms over his
chest.

Faedra raised her eyebrows at him. A few months ago
his stature alone would have intimidated her into backing down, but
with the power she now possessed, no one was getting past her if
she didn't wish it. No one, she quickly reminded herself, but
Arawn.

Etyran glared at Faedra for a moment, indecision
warring on his face. He knew only too well that Faedra could
flatten him where he stood, or worse still, not be able to control
her power and burn him to a crisp. Faedra could feel his energy go
from one of adrenaline fueled determination to resigned deference.
He took a step back and lowered his arms.

Faedra lowered her voice when she spoke. “You can
talk to her tomorrow; it will be better after you've both had time
to calm down and had a good night's sleep. We all need a good
sleep; we've had a long day. I know you, Etyran. You'd hate it if
you went in there tonight and said something you regretted. Just
sleep on it, okay?”

Etyran's face softened. “Yeah, you're right. As
usual.” He gave Faedra a wry smirk. “Where did she come from,
though? How did she get here? And, more's the point, who is
she?”

Faedra moved forward and put her hand on Etyran's
shoulder. “We'll find out. But please promise me you won't try and
get any answers out of her tonight. She's scared, you know. I could
feel it and it wasn't just because you were grappling with her on
the floor. She wasn't scared of us. No, this was a different type
of fear, deep rooted. She's been afraid for a very long time. I
intend to find out why and who it is that she’s so scared of.”

Etyran inclined his head. Faedra knew he wouldn't
break his promise, she could feel that, too.

“Jocelyn, would you stay here with Etyran for a
while?”

Jocelyn stood up and took hold of Etyran's hand. He
looked down at her and smiled. “Come and sit down,” Jocelyn said as
she took a step back to the bed again. Etyran followed her, looking
a little like a lost puppy.

A pang of sadness hit Faedra in the gut at the sight
of Etyran. This revelation had certainly knocked him for six.
“Thanks,” Faedra said, before turning around and descending down
the ladder.

Although she had just told her friend not to talk to
their uninvited guest that night, she had no intention of following
her own instructions. She had to at least make sure the girl was
unharmed and given some food and water before she herself would be
able to rest that night.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Faedra met Faen's uneasy smile as she wandered down
the carved out corridor that led towards the conference room they
had been in earlier that day. A little way past the entrance to
that room Faen was standing outside a heavy door, waiting
patiently.

“Has she said anything?” Faedra asked when she
reached her Guardian.

“Nothing,” he replied.

“I'd like to speak to her.”

“Would you like me to accompany you?” Faen asked.

Faedra sensed he was trying to hide his apprehension
from her but she could still feel it. She put her hand to his cheek
and smiled. “No, thanks. I'll be fine. Hopefully, she will talk if
it's just me.”

Faen closed his eyes for a second and inclined his
head. “I will be here if you need me.” He took hold of Faedra's
hand and lowered it from his face as he stepped aside. “Be
careful.”

“Always.”

Faedra's hand slid from her Guardian's as she stepped
forward and opened the door. She pushed the heavy wooden door open
just enough for her to squeeze through and gave her Guardian one
more poignant look before closing the door behind her.

Faen resumed his position in front of the door.

The tiny room was sparsely furnished. A long wooden
bench that doubled as a bunk ran almost the length of one wall. A
chair and small table rested against the other wall. The glow from
a candle cast warming flickers across the walls and the ceiling.
Faedra leaned back against the door. She couldn't see the girl, who
chose to stay invisible, so she decided to try something. She
closed her eyes and let her mind wander. Her eyes moved about under
their lids. Faedra sensed the girl's energy as soon as she stepped
in the room but couldn't pinpoint its location. She let her mind
relax a little more until, to her astonishment, she could see the
outline of the other occupant through her closed eyes.

The hazy orange glow of a figure sitting down lit up
the blackness behind her closed eyelids. The figure had her hands
in her lap and was looking up at Faedra. A second passed and she
looked back down at her hands.

Faedra was starting to enjoy the optimization of her
given power. She was finding that there was no end of ways she
could now manipulate the energy within and around her. She opened
her eyes and the outline disappeared, but Faedra knew where the
other person was now and moved to sit in the chair opposite to
where the girl was sitting on the bench.

“Are you hurt?” Faedra asked.

She heard a shuffle.

“No,” came the reply.

“Would you like something to eat or drink?”

“No.”

“You've caused quite a stir,” Faedra continued.

Another shuffle.

“Who are you?”

After yet another shuffle, Faedra decided she
couldn't stand talking to thin air so she closed her eyes again and
relaxed her mind. A moment later the girl's hazy figure came back
into view. She was looking at Faedra, her head cocked slightly to
one side.

“Will you at least tell me your name?” Faedra asked.
Trying to get something, anything out of the stranger.

“No.”

Faedra, realizing something was odd, looked down at
her ring. It was not warming up or glowing. She scrunched her
forehead as she gave it a tap. “Huh. That's odd,” she said to
herself.

“What is?” the girl asked.

Faedra looked up. “Hmm? Oh, err, nothing. Must be on
the blink, that's all.” She gave the ring one last tap, then shook
her head. “Look, are you sure I can't get you something to eat or
drink?”

The figure cocked her head to the other side.

“Why are you being so nice to me?” she asked.

“I have a tendency to blow things up if I don't
control my mood, so I find it helps to be nice. That way I don't
hurt anyone.”

The figure straightened up and scooted herself back
until she was leaning up against the wall, legs crossed in front of
her. Faedra smiled.

The girl drew in a breath of realization. “Can... can
you see me?” she asked.

“I can see your outline,” Faedra told her. “Yet
another of my Savu-enhanced powers I've just discovered,” Faedra
mumbled to herself.

“It's weird talking to someone with their eyes
closed.”

“Well, if you'd show yourself, I wouldn't have to
close my eyes. It's even weirder talking to thin air,” Faedra
retorted.

“Fair point,” the girl conceded, then quickly changed
the subject. “What was it like fighting Savu?” the girl asked.

Faedra opened her eyes, saw that the prisoner was
still invisible, sighed, and closed her eyes again. “Scary. Truth
be told, I've never been so scared in all my life.”

“I bet you don't have to be scared anymore, though.
That must be nice,” the girl mused. She dropped her head with her
words.

“Me? You must be joking,” Faedra said. “I'm scared of
everything. I'm scared that I'll hurt someone I care about. I'm
scared that Savu's evil is inside of me and one day I won't be able
to control it. I'm scared this power will consume me.”

“Really? You hide it well,” the disembodied voice
said after a moment of thoughtful contemplation.

“Thanks. So, can you tell me what you're so afraid
of?”

The outline stiffened and puffed herself up to sit
straight and tall. “I'm not afraid of anything!” she snapped.

“Hmm. You forget who you're talking to. Fear is
coming off you in waves, and it's not aimed at me.”

The outline slumped and a moment passed in
silence.

“What are you going to do to me?” the voice asked,
trying very hard to hide her nervous tone.

“I don't know yet. I guess that depends.”

“On what?”

“Don't know that either.”

“Are you going to hurt me? If you are, just get it
over with.” A hard edge returned to the voice.

Faedra got up and opened her eyes.

“I just told you, I don't hurt people I care
about.”

“Why would you care about me? You don't even know
me.”

“Because of you, one of my best friends is no longer
alone in the realms,” Faedra said as she walked towards the
door.

“Faedra?”

Faedra turned, she tried to hide her amazement as the
Lightbender
unwrapped
herself, revealing long blonde hair
that flowed in sleek waves beyond her waist. She had pale skin
accentuated with a hint of pink in her cheeks. Her beautiful blue
eyes shone under the cover of long lashes and her nervous smile
revealed a row of perfect white teeth behind pouty pink lips. Her
slender frame pushed itself off the bench. She was wearing a long
tunic over trousers, belted at the waist with slits up the sides to
make maneuvering easier. Surprisingly, she wasn't carrying a
weapon, something nearly everyone in the different realms seemed to
do, and, to Faedra's knowledge, one had not been confiscated from
her.

Oh, God, Etyran won't stand a chance when he sees
her, and, sadly, neither will Jocelyn,
Faedra thought as she
returned the girl's smile.

“It's Alyssa. My name that is.” Alyssa lowered her
eyes. “And I really would like something to eat and drink.”

Faedra grabbed the door handle. “I'll see to it that
someone brings you something. We'll talk more in the morning after
we've both had some rest. Good night, Alyssa.”

Faedra clicked the door closed behind her and was
greeted by her Guardian who was waiting outside the door. She slid
the bolt home securely.

“How did it go?” Faen asked.

Faedra looked up at him, drank him in for a moment.
She was exhausted and wanted nothing more than to collapse on her
bed. For a moment she said nothing, just gazed at her Guardian's
expectant face. Then she took a step forward, and with a heavy
sigh, wrapped her arms around him and nestled her cheek against his
chest.

“I need a hug.”

After a fleeting moment of hesitation Faen wrapped
his arms around his charge and cocooned her in his embrace. It had
been such a long time since she allowed him to hold her like this;
her action had taken him quite by surprise. She felt good there,
and now that he had her there, he never wanted her to leave.