The Halves of Us Read online

  “Oh, thank you, Bokah. I don’t recognize you from the normal kitchen staff.” She took a bite of the bread.

  “Not a regular, my dear. Normally I fight alongside my Tribe, but I’ve been sick and in Giriveen for medical attention. My brother went in my place with our Tribe. I’m cured now, so I thought I’d meet him and return home.” He grinned.

  Aura looked over to Gossamer, unsure if her new friend knew of the danger the Tribes had encountered. She took another bite to avoid speaking and handed the rest to Felipe, who seemed to be fine.

  Bokah waddled on by her and sat next to Felipe. “Back in Donte, my mother was a cook. She taught me lots of things, so the kitchen was a good fit for me for a few days. But I’m prepared to return to my Tribe. I belong out there in the fight,” he said with his fists in the air.

  Aura made her way over to Gossamer, who gazed past the ships tied to the dock and out to the horizon.

  “The ships should be arriving soon,” he said to her.

  “Does Bokah know?”

  Gossamer shook his head. “No one really knows except those who were there. We won’t know the extent of our loss until we get the Tribes back here. I know your father. He’ll make all return to Giriveen for debriefing before returning to their home regions.”

  “Debriefing?” Aura asked.

  “We’ll have to count our losses and take individual accounts of what they saw.”

  Her shoulders fell. “They should be returning to their families.”

  “And they will, but we must follow proper protocol in instances like this. When we get their individual accounts, we could learn something that may give as an advantage and ensure this never happens again.”

  “Meanwhile, their families’ think everything is okay and won’t even know their loved ones have perished until we finish with protocol.”

  Gossamer turned toward her. “There is a time and Fate for everyone’s end. It’s just how it is. When you join your region’s Tribe, your family knows the stakes. They come to terms with it.”

  Aura’s brow furrowed. “I don’t know if anyone comes to terms with death until it has already befallen them.”

  “I see them! I see them!” Bokah said, jumping up from the sand and waving his arms in the air.

  Aura turned her attention to the ships in the distance, and Gossamer followed her gaze. She counted the ships as they drew closer. The knot in her stomach tightened. She hadn’t realized how anxious she was to face her father.

  Four ships from Ologpha neared. Their white exterior made them appear ghostly over the sapphire waters, casting shadows onto the dock and beach. Over each ship, two flags rose high. One represented the region. The other portrayed the symbol of the Rokis.

  Aura ran to Nemiah as he stepped on the dock, embracing him. She felt his warm body, and for the first time, realized how worried she’d been. Tears streamed down her face.

  She kissed his cheek before slowly pulling away. “I saw everything.” She quickly wiped away her tears and stood tall. “Gossamer and I are returning to Nitari to speak with the Etoyoc. We have an Etoyoc from Adie’s future Council joining us.” She turned and motioned for Felipe to come forward. “Father, this is Felipe.”

  Nemiah greeted Felipe with an extended palm, but words didn’t leave his mouth. He kept his eyes forward. With a strong voice, he shouted, “Please make your way to the beach. We have much to discuss.”

  Aura took a step back, and her blood ran cold at the sound of her father’s ominous voice. She watched as Tontu, Sahdies, Kira, Fae, and other beings emerged from each ship and made their way toward the bay.

  Tribes consisted of twenty members, and each region had two Tribes aid Hatem. She counted those who remained. Only seven elven-kind stepped off a ship. Their blue faces dusted white with ash. Their eyes sullen and lost.

  Bokah’s focus remained on his feet as he shuffled down the gangplank of a ship with three other dwarfs and four Tontu from Meirt.

  As they returned to the bay, the kitchen staff members passed out food amongst all the survivors.

  She overheard her father speaking to Gossamer. “We had four hundred and eighty Tribesmen, and now we’re down to less than one hundred.”

  Aura walked to Bokah, who glanced at her with a forced smile. She sat next to him and watched silently as he held sand in his hands and poured it back onto the beach.

  “My brother wasn’t one of the remaining,” he said. “Dammit, Cale!” He cried out. “No one will say what happened. No one can speak. It’s like they all saw ghosts. What is this? What happened?” he asked, not really expecting a response.

  Aura searched for an explanation, when Gossamer called out from afar for everyone to come closer. They made their way toward him. The shuffling of their feet on the sand was deafening. A hand wrapped around hers as Felipe came by her side. His gaze remained forward at Gossamer and Nemiah.

  “What you saw . . . I can only imagine. My vantage point was . . .” Gossamer paused, looking out at the white ashen faces. “I’m sure my vantage point was nothing like being there, but it was horrifying. Until this day, we had no idea the Sights had power. We do not know why they attacked or what their next move is, but Ambrielle has ordered that I return to Nitari with their Tribe, along with my niece, Aura, and the future representation on the Council for that region, Felipe.”

  A few silent sobs echoed in the crowd, and most eyes stayed glued to the ground. Felipe squeezed Aura’s hand, and their eyes met briefly. She wanted to lean in close to him. To feel some sort of comfort from the confusion and sadness-riddled air.

  “We’ll attempt to gather any information we can from the Etoyoc and get a view of Vadim,” Gossamer said. “I’ve been told by Nemiah that there are only four remaining Etoyoc. I know this has been hard, but in order to manage the ship, we need at least a full Tribe to join us. Anyone who’s willing to join, please raise your hand. All others will stay here for the night and make their way toward the Dome in the morning. Who will join us?”

  A hand rose next to Aura’s face, and she looked to see Bokah raising his as high as he could. His tears collected in his long beard.

  Gossamer nodded at him and the others raising their hands. “I thank you for all that you do. Those who have volunteered, please follow me to the Giriveen ship. All others, please follow Nemiah to set up camp for the evening.”

  Aura moved her way through the crowd, keeping hold of Felipe’s hand as Bokah followed closely behind. Aura glanced around at the others who joined them. A mixture of all the races of Thindoral.

  Bokah came around to face Gossamer. “Whatever you need, I’m there. They killed my brother. We must stop them.”

  Uni was setting before them, creating a dazzling arrangement of orange and red hues against the blue horizon.

  We had four hundred and eighty Tribesmen and now we’re down to less than one hundred. She shook her head, wondering about the cruelty of Fate, and headed toward the ship.

  18

  Adie

  Adie wished Aura was by her side. Sadness crept along her skin, seeping into her, making every inch of her ache. Her head spun with the image of Michael falling away to ash.

  As she and Samuel exited the Council Room, they paused for a moment. They heard the sound of his mother crying out in the hall. Adie reached out for him, but he stepped away from her touch.

  “Come, let’s make our way to your chambers,” he said, without a glance at her.

  She followed behind him.

  As they entered her room she closed the door. “Samuel, it’s okay. If you need to talk—”

  “I don’t,” he said quickly.

  Adie shivered, unaccustomed to his cold tone. “Okay. We can just sit if you’d like.”

  She took a spot on the far edge of her bed, and he sat with a space between them. “Look, I know what we saw was—”

  “Where’s Aura?” he asked abruptly.

  Adie’s shoulders dropped. “She left with Gossamer and Felipe. They’re going
to Nitari.”

  “What? Why? After what happened? After my father . . .” He stood, pacing the room. He ran his fingers through his sandy blond hair and looked directly at her.

  She stood and took both his hands. “Aura insisted they go to see if they could learn anything about the Sights and if they’d been in the area. And as you know, the Etoyoc aren’t a trusting people. She suggested they take Felipe so that the Etoyoc would speak to them. She had good points, but I don’t trust Felipe.”

  “And why is that?”

  “A feeling.” Adie avoided his gaze. Should I tell him about the premonition with Felipe?

  “A feeling? After everything that’s happened today, you want me to worry about Felipe because of a feeling?”

  “It’s hard to explain.”

  “Well, perhaps you should since I’m your Guard now. Since my father is . . . My father is dead,” he said quietly. He slumped into a nearby chair and buried his face in his hands.

  “If you need to—”

  “Cry?” he asked, lifting his face from his hands and glaring at her. “As your mother said, he’s to be celebrated. I’m the strong one now.” As he spoke, the muscles in his face twitched and his gray eyes hardened.

  “It’s okay for you to be sorrowful. You’ve lost your father, and he was a great man.” Her voice faltered as she walked to him.

  “Explain to me,” he said, changing the subject. His voice grew harsh, cutting through the thick air surrounding them.

  “Explain what?” Adie asked, blinking back the tears.

  “Your feelings about Felipe,” he said, looking directly at her.

  She knew he needed to change the subject. He was their Guard now, and . . . what if we’re to be together? He would eventually learn about all of her dreams. Her nightmares. The premonitions.

  She sat back down on the bed and exhaled. “About four years ago, Aura and I snuck out of the room once behind your . . .” She paused and looked away from him. “Behind your father’s back. We’d stolen a key from Gossamer. Mother is one of many Rulers who doesn’t like to sleep with the Rokis on all the time. She’s always said it’s too heavy. She keeps it in the Holding Room every fortnight for one night.”

  She paused to look over at Samuel, whose gray eyes pierced through her.

  “Aura and I snuck into the Holding Room to see the Rokis. We both . . .” She held her breath. No! You only told Mother you touched it! She felt his eyes still on her and met his questioning gaze. You can trust him. She cleared her throat. “We both touched it at the same time.”

  Samuel stood from his chair. “What? Why would you do such a thing?”

  “We were young. We thought it was nothing. We just assumed the you-must-not-touch-this warning was just like when Gossamer shouted at us to not touch the statues in the gallery, so we did it anyway.”

  “What happened?”

  “I don’t know exactly.”

  “How do you not know?”

  “We were young, and we were scared. I just remember what I saw and what Aura said she saw. We promised to never speak of it again, and we haven’t.”

  “What did you see?” he asked.

  She told him about the tree and the dark smoke and how Aura said she had disappeared. “We were almost caught by Gossamer, but we made it back to our chambers. My eyes, they turned blue, but just briefly.”

  “And all this is supposed to explain to me why you have this feeling that you can’t trust Felipe?”

  “Listen,” she begged as Samuel made his way toward the door.

  He stopped and glanced back at her.

  “I’ve had these nightmares for years.” She grimaced, remembering her nightmares. They are real. “And it turns out, they’re premonitions. It’s my power from the Rokis.”

  “So what Aura said in the hallway earlier was true? That’s really your power?” he asked, turning away from the door and walking back toward Adie.

  “Yes. I didn’t know that’s what they were till Mother told me. I’ve had these dreams and terrible nightmares since I touched the Rokis. So terrible that Aura would have to come and wake me up to calm me down night after night.” she said as he stepped closer to her.

  “And you had one about Felipe?” he asked.

  “I had this one that’s normally quite pleasant. It just involves me in the garden where I escape occasionally from your . . . I go there to be by myself. In the premonition, I hear lovely music and go down a path that’s not there in real life. I see this valley. It’s so beautiful, the colors and . . . and that’s how it ends.”

  “That’s a premonition?”

  “Listen. It used to be pleasant. Like before you would . . . someone would come up from behind me and hold me, and I would feel safe.” She paused, looking at him. “But last night, I had the dream and I was being held so tight I couldn’t breathe. It hurt, and I begged him to let me go, and I somehow broke free and turned around, and it was Felipe. His eyes, they were red and glowing, and he . . . well, he turned into a Sight.”

  “So the Sights are able to shift into another person?” Samuel asked.

  “Don’t take it so literally. Mother said these were premonitions or warnings. It’s letting me know he’s not good. I mean, he lives in Nitari and is Etoyoc. They’re neighbors to Vadim, and now he’s heading with my sister and Gossamer to his own region. The nightmare can’t be a coincidence.”

  “What other premonitions have you had? Did you see my father or anything about what happened?”

  She moved closer to him. “Of course not. I would’ve said something. I know he was your father, but he was like family to me, too. He always watched over us.”

  He nodded, and his face grew less stern. “Sorry, it’s just . . .” His lips twisted into a sad smile. “I know you would’ve warned him if you’d known.” He extended his hand, and Adie didn’t hesitate to take it. “What do we do now?”

  “Well, Aura has made the decision to go to Nitari. I know she’ll stick with it, especially since Mother allowed it. Maybe the premonition about Felipe meant something else,” she said, releasing Samuel’s hand and sitting back on the bed.

  “What else could it mean?”

  “I don’t know. But I think we can help in another way.” Adie paused. You told him your other secrets. You can share this one with him, too. “I need to check on something in the library. That is, if I have my Guard’s permission.”

  Samuel chuckled. Adie’s lips curled into a soft smile, happy for a moment that she’d made him laugh.

  “We both know, if you want to go to the library, you’ll find a way. But why the library?”

  “Aura and I overheard Tut and the Sandman speak of something a long time ago. I think if I find it, Mother will trust me again. I can get some answers for everyone . . . and myself. Maybe. Or maybe I need to go through and see if I recognize anything from our history matching some of my premonitions. I want to help somehow. No one will be there now, so I think it’s my best chance.” You can help them. Find a way to help them.

  He sat next to her, placing his hand back on hers. “Just this time, let’s not sneak anywhere. We’ll make our way there, and I’ll tell anyone who questions us to take it up with Ambrielle. It’ll get them off our backs for a short time.”

  “I like the way you think.” Adie smiled at him.

  They made their way into the hallway, looking both ways before exiting her room. Silence filled the halls. Even the designs on the walls remained stationary. Adie walked as quietly as possible, hoping Samuel couldn’t hear the heavy beating of her heart.

  He grabbed Adie’s hand. She pulled away. Someone might see! She held on to the side of her sapphire colored dress, feeling the soft tulle and ignoring the thoughts creeping into her mind about him.

  “Why did you pull away?” Samuel asked, with a deep sadness in his eyes that Adie couldn’t bear.

  “I apologize. It was reflex.” She grinned, hoping he would laugh.

  When he didn’t, she released the grip
on her dress and reached for him, slowly grazing her fingers across his hand. Their fingers intertwined, and Adie took a deep breath as her stomach fluttered. “Samuel—”

  “Hello there, Guard,” Samuel said, stiffening and releasing his hand from Adie’s.

  Her cheeks warmed.

  “What are you two doing out of your chambers?” the Guard asked, stepping in front of them. His elongated ears twitched nervously.

  Adie examined the blue Kira and watched his face darken to a deeper shade as he realized who he was speaking to. He opened his mouth, but no words came from him.

  What would Aura do? She held her head high. “We’re making our way to the library.”

  Samuel stepped forward. “Sir, I’m the Personal Guard of the future Ruler of Thindoral, Adie. She is reporting to the library on urgent business. Ambrielle is aware of this, and this information should have reached you as a fellow Guard in the Dome. Please report to Ambrielle to make sure your information is clear.”

  Adie nodded at the Guard with a stern expression. “Thank you for your concern. You’re dismissed.”

  “Of course.” The Guard stood silent for a moment as if he wished to say more. Finally, he turned toward the stairs, looking at them over his shoulder.

  Adie and Samuel shared a look. “I say we hurry before anyone else questions us,” Samuel said.

  “Quickly then!” Adie picked up her pace, practically running toward the library doors.

  Upon entering, Samuel shut the doors quietly behind them. “Now, what exactly are you looking for?”

  Adie looked up and down the long library room that seemed to extend endlessly in both directions. She sighed. Something that’ll help me understand my powers. Something that’ll help me prove my worth. Something, anything that will give us answers.

  “Historical accounts of Rulers’ powers . . . amongst a few other things,” she said, looking in either direction, surveying the shelves towering over them.

  “Please tell me you know where to start.”

  “I do. Well, sort of. Like I mentioned before, a few years ago, Aura and I heard a conversation between Tut and the Sandman. They spoke about a secret library they were searching for. We made up stories about the hidden library and decided we had to find it ourselves. At first, it started off as a fun adventure. We’d sneak away and keep it between us. But now I think if I can find it, maybe, just maybe it’ll help.”