The Cypher Wheel (18 page)

“He said he would kill the only other Lightbender
left in existence.”

“And you believed him? What made you even think there
was another? Etyran was convinced he was the only one.”

“Arawn showed me.”

“He showed you?” Faedra asked, confused. Etyran had
never mentioned that he'd been to Drofoz before.

“Yes, he has this pool in the castle. It allows him
to see anyone he wants...except the people here, of course. He
can't see in here and it drives him crazy. He's sent scouting party
after scouting party to scour these woods but they've never found
the caves. The ovates must have created some very powerful
protection wards. The trees help a lot, too.”

“The trees?”

“Yes, aspens. They grow all around this cave. They
hold magical shields of protection. The ovates must draw from the
tree's power to hide the cave and protect it from being penetrated,
either in person or clairvoyantly.” Alyssa explained.

Faedra was leaning forward now, forearms resting on
her thighs, totally engrossed by what Alyssa was divulging. “How do
you know all this?”

“Arawn trusts me. He requires my presence at all of
the meetings he holds with his soldiers or scouting parties.”

Faedra sat up straight again, her brow furrowed.
“Hold on, if he can see anyone he wants, how come he doesn't know
where Todmus is?”

“I don't know. Todmus was Lord over the ovates,
wasn't he? Maybe he is using the same magic to hide himself as they
are.” Alyssa mused.

Faedra remembered coming around in his cottage after
he had saved her from Vivianna's mind torture. He said that she
would never be able to get to Faedra again after he'd cast the
protective spell around her and her friends. “Of, course. That
would make sense. Hmm, I have a feeling Todmus is a lot more
powerful than anyone in Azran realizes.”

“He's in Azran?” Alyssa asked, her eyes wide with
anticipation.

Faedra closed her eyes and puffed out a heavy sigh,
realizing she had just given the enemy exactly what they
wanted.

“Oh, crap! Subtle as a brick, Faedra. Subtle as a
brick,” she cursed herself at her slip up. Now what? She definitely
wouldn't be able to let Alyssa go. Not now. There was no way she
could risk Arawn finding out where Todmus was. If she was right,
Todmus was this realm's only hope of redemption and she virtually
just handed him over.

“I know.”

Faedra brought her attention back to the young
Lightbender. “Know what?”

“Who it is who hates you.”

“How would you...?”

“Now that I know where the other Lightbender is and
that he is safe, I no longer have to worry about Arawn finding him
before I can warn him. If you help me escape from Arawn, I'll tell
you everything.”

Faedra's eyebrows shot up. She wasn't expecting that
coaxing Alyssa over to their side would be that easy. Could she be
trusted, though? It was a lot of trust to give to someone who had
just sneaked in on the proviso of spying on them all and taking
their whereabouts back to Arawn. Faedra closed her eyes for a
moment and let her mind relax. Alyssa's energy had changed from
fear to hope. She was telling the truth. It was difficult enough to
hide your emotions from a normal person, nigh on impossible to hide
them from a Manipulator. Faedra's gut told her to trust the girl;
her power was telling her the same thing.

“I have to admit, I didn’t expect my first encounter
with another of my kind to be grappling with him on the floor,”
Alyssa said, pulling Faedra from her thoughts.

Faedra opened her eyes and smiled. “That’s our Etyran
for you. Not the most charming of creatures you’re ever likely to
meet, but he has his moments.”

“Oh, I don’t know…” Alyssa looked into space with a
wistful expression.

Faedra raised her eyes heavenward. She just hoped
Jocelyn’s heart wouldn’t be too broken.

“Okay, spill,” Faedra said, snapping the young
Lightbender from her daydream.

Alyssa wrinkled her forehead.

“You said you knew who it was who hated me, so spill
the beans.”

***

Faen heard an angry shriek from the other side of the
door a second before it flew open of its own accord and the
Custodian, who looked like she had murder on her mind, stormed out
brandishing two purple orbs. Not a good sign. He shot a concerned
look at Etyran who was waiting outside the room with him hoping to
talk to the young girl being held prisoner there. The temperature
in the corridor soared and sweat beaded on both their
foreheads.

“You two with me,” Faedra commanded with a
directional nod of her head, as she stomped down the corridor away
from the main cave.

“But...” Etyran started.

“Not now, Etyran. After what I've just found out, I
feel the need to blow something up.” She saw the concern in the two
men's eyes. “I wonder if the ovates could use another room,” Faedra
mused to herself.

Faen and Etyran looked at each other again. Faen
hastily bolted the cell door and they both took off after the angry
Custodian. Her fireballs were lighting up the corridor better than
any torches could.

“What's gotten into her?” Etyran whispered to his
friend as they stood a safe distance from where Faedra was carving
out another room for the cave compound, shouting curses with every
ball of mixed energy she threw at the rock face.

“Your guess is as good as mine, but something our
prisoner said certainly upset her.” Faen responded as he ducked in
time to miss a chunk of rock that came flying past his head.

“Ya think!” Etyran exclaimed, ducking alongside his
friend.

“Unfortunately, until she calms down we are not going
to find out. The best thing we can do is keep anyone from coming
down here until she gets this out of her system.”

“Good idea,” Etyran said, turning on his heel,
thankful for the excuse to go. “I'll leave this for you to sort out
then.” He gave his friend a cheeky grin before making his exit.

“Thank you, my friend!” Faen called after him.

Etyran smirked; it wasn't like Faen to be sarcastic.
Maybe he was rubbing off on his friend after all.

“Etyran, wait!” Faen shouted down the corridor a
second later. Etyran stopped and turned. “Talk to the girl, see if
she will tell you what she said to make Faedra this angry.”

“Are you sure? We didn't exactly hit it off the first
time we met, I was kind of hoping for an introduction.”

Faen gave him a pointed look. “Just try. What have
you got to lose? If she refuses to talk to you, we are no worse off
than we are now.”

“Good point.” Etyran turned to leave again.

“Oh, and Etyran,” Faen continued.

Etyran stopped and gave him a questioning look.

“Be nice.”

Etyran gave his friend a mock-affronted look. “Me?
I'll be as charming as ever.”

“Hmm...That’s what I am afraid of.”

Etyran gestured a stab to the heart before continuing
down the corridor. Faen raised his eyes heavenward and shook his
head before turning back to continue watching his charge excavate
the cave.

***

Etyran paused in front of the heavy wooden door that
stood between him and the only other Lightbender left in the seven
realms. His heart was pounding. He looked down at his hands and
wiggled his fingers, he couldn't remember the last time his hands
felt clammy. He straightened out his tunic, smoothed down his hair,
and scrubbed his palms over his face. Then he looked at the door
some more. A moment later he leaned forward, took hold of the door
handle, paused, and let it go again. A step back and a walk in a
small circle saw him back in the same position; staring at the
heavy wooden door. This is what he'd been waiting for since last
night but now that he was actually about to step into the room with
her, he couldn't do it.

What was Faen thinking, asking him to go in and talk
to her? She wouldn't show herself to him let alone talk to him
after what he did the night before. She was the only other of his
kind and how did he treat her? He wrestled her to the ground and
threatened her. His shoulders slumped and he looked at the
floor.

I was protecting my friends
he told himself.
She is a spy for Arawn
and
she's upset the Custodian.
He straightened up and pushed his shoulders back. A moment more of
door-staring and his shoulders slumped again.
Why did she have
to be a spy? Why couldn't we have met under better circumstances?
Where did she come from, anyway, and how did she end up working for
Arawn?

“That door will not open itself.”

A female voice startled him from his thoughts. Was he
still staring at the door? How long had he been staring at the
door? He turned towards the voice.

“Jocelyn. How long have you been standing there?”

“Long enough to know that whatever happens when you
open that door, we will always be friends.”

Etyran pinched his brow.

Jocelyn answered his confused expression with a
wistful smile. “Go on, open it. Your destiny lies behind that door,
you shouldn't keep it waiting.”

“But...I...what about us?”

Jocelyn lowered her eyes for a moment, then returned
her gaze as she moved towards the Lightbender, her fluid grace
matching that of her brother's. She stopped in front of him and
looked up. His face was wracked with indecision and doubt.

“Us, only happened recently,” she said, reaching up
and placing a dainty hand to his cheek. “Things have changed now;
you should be with your own kind. What is it that humans say? If
you love someone, set them free.”

Etyran puffed out a heavy sigh. “But she hates me,
why would she want anything to do with me after what I did last
night?” He tore his gaze away from Jocelyn and looked down at his
feet, ashamed.

“Just introduce yourself; she will not stay angry
with you forever. Once she has had the time to calm down, she will
realize you were doing it to protect those you love. It is a very
noble trait to possess; she will see that, too.” Jocelyn put her
fingers under his chin and encouraged him to look at her. When he
did, she continued. “Now open up that door, walk through it and
meet your destiny.” She rose up on her tiptoes and placed a soft
kiss on his cheek before turning around to walk away. She only got
a few paces when she turned back to look at him. “Though I would
try and get to know her a little before wrestling her to the ground
again.”

Etyran raised his eyebrows at Jocelyn's innuendo.
“I'll try and remember that.”

Jocelyn started towards the main cave again, unable
to stop the tear that was now sliding down her cheek.

“Jocelyn.”

Jocelyn stopped. She closed her eyes before taking a
deep breath and cast the tear away with a quick graze of her hand.
She opened her eyes and looked over her shoulder.

“Thank you. You are a wonderful friend.”

Jocelyn smiled, but it did little to hide the sorrow
she felt for what she'd just given away.

Etyran's eyes saddened as he watched the young fairy
walk away. He took a step towards her, held his arm out and opened
his mouth to say something, then shut it again. He took another
step, then stopped, lowered his arm and sucked in a deep breath
before turning to look back at the door again. He turned his head,
shot another wistful glance down the corridor, which was now
empty.

“Aw, Hell,” Etyran said, as he straightened up and
brought his focus back to the door and what lay beyond it. “Try not
to screw this up.”

CHAPTER TWENTY

Etyran gave a gentle rap on the door and pushed it
open. He stopped dead and his eyes widened when they fell on the
girl inside the room. She had her back to him and his gaze lingered
on the long golden waves of silk that fell down her back.

The girl turned upon hearing the door. “Faedra,
I...”

The instant her eyes fell upon the person who had
entered the room, she wrapped the light around herself and
disappeared.

Etyran's heart sank. For the split second he had seen
her face, her beautiful warm eyes turned to steel, and hatred lined
her features. He clicked the door shut and leaned against it,
giving the girl as much space as possible in the tiny room. He hung
his head. How on earth was he going to pull this off? The girl
hated him; he could see it in her eyes. There was no way she'd give
him a chance after what he did. At times like this he wished he had
a more eloquent way about him like his good friend Faen. Instead,
he felt more like an awkward teenager than anything else.

Etyran heard a scrape and lifted his head just in
time to see a chair lift off the ground and float in midair, legs
pointing towards him.

“I warn you, stay back!” a nervous voice
demanded.

Etyran put his hands up. “Look, I'm sorry about last
night.” Etyran took a step forward only to have the chair legs
thrust at him. He took a step back and decided it was probably a
better idea if he stayed still. He didn't want to do anything else
to scare the girl. “I'm not here to hurt you.”

“Like I'm supposed to believe that after what you did
to me.”

“It's the truth.”

“Why are you here, then?” the voice snapped.

“I wanted to apologize. I think we got off on the
wrong foot.”

His statement garnered him a scoffing laugh.

“Yes, well, anyway,” Etyran blustered, trying to
continue his apology. He could feel the heat rising in his cheeks.
“I was hoping we could...”

“We could what, Lightbender?” Alyssa cut him off, her
voice condescending.

“Um, we could...err...start over, perhaps?” Etyran
realized at this point he wasn't very good at this apologizing
malarkey; he hadn't found the need to do it very often and was
feeling just a tad rusty. Truth be told, he wasn't very good at
communicating with women at all.