The Halves of Us Read online

  As Gossamer turned the key, he took a step back, and they watched the brass bars shift around the door, clicking as they each moved to the side. The door shuddered as it eased open. Following Gossamer’s lead, the students shuffled in, forcing Adie forward without Aura. The dark tunnel had white vines trembling along the walls and creeping beside them as they walked through.

  As they reached a spacious open room, Gossamer fumbled through his array of keys until he reached a wooden one with an elongated and bent torso. He inserted the key in the only door in the room and turned it with ease. The door creaked, and all the students watched with wide eyes.

  A humpback creature unlike any Adie had seen on Thindoral, stood in the doorway, towering over Gossamer. Peachy rugged skin covered him except for the tousled hair on his large round head. A sharp beak protruded from his face, and a thin opening stretched across it, creating what Adie assumed was a smile. Sharp, silver teeth lined his grin in multiple rows, and a foul rotten smell filled the air around him as he panted breathlessly.

  Gossamer faced the students. “This is Mister Dilip. He will escort you, one at a time, into the Room of Papers.”

  Mister Dilip looked about the main room of the dungeon with his beady pink eyes. He clasped his hands in front of him, revealing three wrinkly fingers on each hand, and sighed with anticipation. Adie stepped forward to get a better look and listened to his gruff voice.

  “You will each enter individually. It’ll seem but an instant to those who remain waiting out here, but remember, time doesn’t bind this room. There are rows. There are stacks. There are thousands of papers.” His eyes grew wider with excitement as he gazed at the students surrounding him. In a deep, raspy voice, he continued, “You’re searching for one sheet of paper. The one that’s not blank. That one will reveal your Fate. Your destiny. Welcome to the Room of Papers.”

  The students peered behind him, but all they saw was darkness. “Who’s first?” he asked as one eye spun around in its socket, making his pink iris vanish. All the students stepped back in a hushed gasp, except one.

  Aura.

  Her distraction was obvious. Her eyes remained glued to the floor and her hands were in fists. Her gaze broke when Voke croaked loudly. An Ogre next to him grunted and hunched his shoulders, trying to disappear into the crowd.

  Mister Dilip’s three fingers motioned her forward. Adie watched as Aura held her head high as she walked toward the dark room. She paused only momentarily and glanced over her shoulder. Adie forced a smile and prayed Aura would come back with a pleasing Fate. Gossamer motioned for Aura to continue, and she entered the room, disappearing into darkness as he shut the door behind her.

  What seemed like only thirty seconds later, a pale-faced Aura walked out of the room. Within her trembling hands, she held a large, rectangular white sheet of paper. She walked toward Adie quickly and stood next to her sister.

  “How long was I gone?”

  “About thirty seconds or so,” Adie whispered.

  “Seemed like an hour.” Aura said, showing Adie her paper.

  “I don’t see anything.”

  “And you won’t,” Mister Dilip interjected. His eye rotated again. “You alone will see the image on your own paper. You alone will see your Fate. You can’t see the Fate of others. You may only share your Fate with those it involves.” He looked around at the crowd, all the students hesitant to be next.

  Adie stepped forward, nominating herself.

  “Come. Come, Future Ruler.”

  Adie took a deep breath and straightened her shoulders. She walked forward and into the dark room, stealing a quick glance behind her to get reassurance from Aura, but the door had disappeared. Mister Dilip, Gossamer, Aura . . . everyone was gone.

  “Mister Dilip?” Adie shouted into the emptiness. She took a few steps backward, stopping when a solid surface met her back. She turned to see a tall stack of papers messily gathered, towering over her.

  A heavy woofing sound startled her. Bright lights from an unknown source appeared from overhead, revealing black walls and endless rows stacked with towers of papers.

  Adie sighed. She took a few strides forward and looked back from where she came. The rows grew, appearing more numerous on each side. She squinted, trying to see out into the room, searching for an end to the rows, but found none. Adie brought her arms in close to her chest and shuddered as a coldness crept up her spine.

  She spun around, trying to remember from which direction she came. “This is impossible.”

  Just when she decided which way to go, the light in front of her went dark, causing her to freeze. Her stomach fluttered, and the pathway disappeared into darkness. Adie stuck her hand out, running it across something smooth, solid. A wall.

  A black wall stood in front of her. A dead end. She brought her arm back to her side and turned to her right. The light went out again. She spun around.

  Two choices left. She stepped forward slowly, and the light stayed on. With a smile, she continued, peering down rows and rows of papers, all appearing the brightest of white. She stopped walking when the light in front of her went out again, forcing her to turn down a row on her left. The row led down to another dead end, but this time it wasn’t a wall stopping her path. It was a stack of papers. She looked up, not able to see the top of the stack.

  A single white sheet floated down from above her head, and it came to rest at her feet. She picked it up and flipped it over. White on both sides. Around her, the lights dimmed except for a single source above her. The stack of papers that had stopped her in her path were now the only ones left in the room. The stack swayed back and forth, and Adie stepped away, watching it slowly start to fall. No . . . no! She held her breath as she thought the papers steadied but they gradually leaned toward her direction. Run!

  She started running, but every time she looked back, the stack seemed to be just above her. Her limbs froze, and she covered her head with her hands as the papers rained down on her. She waited until she heard the last paper fall, and when she opened her eyes, a sea of white parchment paper surrounded her. Adie sat on the ground, moving through them as fast as she could. Whiteness. Whiteness blanketed the area around her. Blank page after blank page. She fell back, lying down on the papers. Her neck ached from searching through all of them. Just as she wondered how long she’d been searching, the light above her grew dim.

  The remaining light encompassing her grew smaller and smaller as though a wave of black was heading toward her.

  “No! No! No!” She shuffled through the papers as quickly as she could.

  The area covered by the light continued to dwindle.

  “Come on! Come on!” Searching, she still couldn’t find anything.

  As she stood, the light ended a few feet in front of her. Looking around, her eyes begged for a sign of any color on a white sheet of paper.

  Adie stopped when a corner of blue caught her eye. She fell to her knees and slowly pulled out the paper, gazing upon her Fate. Her eyes grew wide as she took in the image. It can’t be.

  Mister Dilip suddenly appeared next to her. “I see you’ve found your Fate.” His smile returned, showing his sharp teeth.

  Adie stepped forward and found herself back in front of the final-year students.

  Aura came up to her. “You okay?”

  Adie clasped the paper to her chest. Even though they couldn’t see it, she felt the need to cover the image in fear of what she saw.

  4

  Adie

  Adie’s Fate paper felt heavy in her dress pocket. As the last students completed the Room of Papers, Gossamer led Adie and the future Council members to the third floor, and Ms. Nevolie directed the remaining final-year students back to the Teaching Hall. Adie had searched the crowd for Aura, but couldn’t find her. Again. Her gaze fell to the floor as Michael walked by her side down the hallway. Her face scrunched in concentration.

  “What’s bothering you?” Michael asked.

  “How do you always know?”


  He chuckled. “I’ve been your Guard since the day you were born. I know when something is bothering you.” He paused. “How was the Room of Papers?”

  She shook her head. “I’d rather not talk about it.”

  “You don’t have to. Is there something else bothering you?”

  I’ve already touched the Rokis. I think I’m not the future Ruler. I’ve seen the Wicked Willow before, and the nightmares . . .

  Adie thought about the folded paper in her dress pocket.

  “If it’s the projection of Vadim that’s on your mind, you needn’t worry. All the final-year students are shown what darkness lurks in our world.”

  She remembered the glowing red eyes of the Sight and Aura’s face in the hallway. She’d never seen her so scared. I wish I could comfort her like she does me.

  “Adie, the Sights don’t speak.” He placed his hand on her shoulder. “Aura is resilient. She’ll be able to put her fear behind her.”

  Those they passed in the hallway whispered as they walked by them. Most everyone knew where she was headed. “She’s going to touch the Rokis! Soon we’ll learn her gift!”

  She tried to ignore their murmurs. They stopped, and Michael motioned toward a door on her right. Adie’s fingertips traced the carved lines cascading down the sides of the door frame, feeling the deep grooves.

  The Council Room.

  This was it. Her future Council members followed behind her as she headed to her first lesson with the Rokis. Her stomach churned, and she swallowed the bile rising in her throat. Adie’s hands trembled at her sides. What do I tell them when nothing happens?

  The light flooded in through the windows and bounced off the ceiling. The memory of herself and Aura in the Holding Room years ago, dancing in the bright colored light from the stained-glass windows, replayed in her mind.

  “I ask that you all take a seat on the long sides of the table. Adie will sit at the front right side for now. When she becomes Ruler, she will sit at the head of the table,” Gossamer said, and the students took their seats.

  Adie had only glanced at the room a few times when she and Aura were younger and would sneak through the hidden tunnels of the Dome. Then, the walls were gray in the shadows, but in the light cast by their sun, Uni, they appeared golden.

  “Ruler Ambrielle is finishing a meeting with the Sandman, the Council member from Bakete, and will join us shortly. In the meantime, Headmaster Tut shall greet you and discuss your Teachings this year.” Gossamer looked around the room as though he expected Tut to be behind him. “It seems he’s late per usual. Excuse me while I find him.”

  As Gossamer left, a heavy silence fell about the room. Jikohg, the Ogre from Tanhera, blinked his singular eye furiously and fidgeted in his seat when Adie glanced at him. A lovely Fae girl smiled when her violet eyes met Adie’s. Long blue hair fell in waves down to her shoulders. A member of the Fales, the tree people, sat to her left. He folded his long arms across his chest and grunted as his eyes searched the room. Long strands of bark that covered his skin crunched as he leaned back in his chair. Dark green leaves sprouted from his head, pulling back into a wispy braid tied at the end with a thin vine.

  Adie inhaled. You should say something. She exhaled. No, you probably shouldn’t.

  A few of the students started whispering amongst themselves, and relief flooded her.

  “Hi.” A kind smile appeared as a young man extended his palm toward her.

  She met his hand with hers and nodded, looking into his brown eyes. “You were the guy with Aura in the hallway . . .” Adie’s voice trailed off. The one that was holding her hand.

  He nodded while tucking a stray strand of his curly black hair behind his ear. “The name is Felipe.”

  “Adie.” He probably already knows that.

  His dark eyes eased her nerves.

  “Thank you for helping Aura earlier. She . . . she . . .” Adie stopped. “She’s usually the strong one.” She repeated her thought from earlier, unsure what to say, and cleared her throat again. “So you’re on my Council?” She cringed. Of course he’s on your Council. He’s in the Council Room!

  Felipe chuckled and nodded. “I’m from the Nitari region.”

  Adie’s eyebrows rose, and she nodded, trying to hide her shock. We’ve never had representation from the Nitari region before! “You live in Nitari, by Vadim? But you’re not Etoyoc, you look like me. You’re Tontu.”

  “My whole family is Tontu. But my mother and I live with the Etoyoc and keep their customs, live their simplistic lifestyles, and I think of myself as one of them.” He smirked. “And out of all the species in Thindoral, you would think you’d have more of an issue with the Fae and the Ogres cohabitating.” He chuckled as he pulled a white folded-up piece of paper from his shirt pocket.

  They always told Adie the education level in Nitari wasn’t of the highest regard, yet here stood a shockingly well-educated Etoyoc, who was quite funny, too. She did need to make friends with her future Council. And Aura likes him. She glanced at his folded Fate paper. As he opened the paper, the hairs on her neck raised.

  “Do you like what you see?” she asked.

  Felipe looked at her and laughed, showing the dimples in his cheeks.

  “On your paper . . .” Adie clarified as the Headmaster entered. She exchanged a slight grin with Felipe as they turned and faced Tut.

  It was obvious he hadn’t looked in a mirror this morning after he dressed. His misbuttoned white shirt was haphazardly tucked into his baggy trousers, and a patch of silver hair stood up on the back of his head. Her mother always said what Tut lacked in appearance, he made up for in brilliance. Adie had always found that to be true.

  “Silence, please.”

  The room hushed and everyone looked forward.

  “Welcome to a new Season of Teachings.” His words fell fast from his mouth, and his left hand twitched as he laid down boxes containing a few jars, trays, and papers on the table. He smiled out at the students, revealing teeth almost as yellow as his eyes. “Each of you has been pre-selected to represent your region on the future Council, and the Nitari region has provided representation for the first time in our history. No need in introducing yourself, I already memorized your names. I’m Headmaster Tutimier, but you may call me Tut, as I do not like formalities.” He glanced feverishly around the room with his beady eyes.

  Tut had always been kind to her. Or rather, he didn’t seem to notice she hid away in his office from time to time when she wanted to be alone. When he did see her, he would insist she help him with one of his tamer experiments, like creating new fruit by crossing plant species or mixing Fae dust and Ogre mucus to create super fertilizer. He was a peculiar man, but one with imagination, and she appreciated that.

  “This class will explore what your duties are to the Ruler, and what her responsibility is to you. We’ll also discuss the power of the Rokis as well as a few other mystical elements we have on our planet and how to use those to our advantage.” His voice grew deep. “You shall attend your first Requesting Ceremony in the coming days. This is done quarterly to mark the Season so the Ruler can use the Rokis to bring on the new weather, express any new laws, and handle any special requests from the Council members. Felipe,” Tut located him near Adie, “you will work with Polif, the future Council member from Ologpha, and their predecessor on understanding what’s expected of you since it’s the first year we have representation from Nitari. Everyone else, your predecessors will instruct you on how to dress, what to bring as a gift, and—”

  He stopped as his eyes landed on the Fae girl. “My absolute favorite thing is Fae dust! Oh, the marvelous things you can do with it!” He cleared his throat as if to stifle his excitement but failed. He hurried to the front of the table, almost skipping.

  Leaning forward, Adie caught her first glimpse of Polif. She had only seen a few Inhira before. They were a race created from when the Designers mated with Tontu, and the androgynous beauty of the Designers remained evident in
them. Polif’s presence took her breath away. Their long white hair fell over iridescent skin, reminding her of a pearl her father brought back from his trip to Filreta. It was impossible to tell their gender, even when they spoke, and it was rude to ask.

  Tut shuffled some papers. “Before we do an experiment, I need someone to answer this question correctly.” He gazed at the classroom with a side smirk. “The Rokis is a fascinating thing. Its ability to transport individuals and large groups and provide medical assistance is astounding. But its fantastical ability that brings us here today, is it provides each Ruler with a unique power. Telekinesis, invisibility, mind-reading, element control, and perfect memory are the most popular throughout history. Though smaller powers have been given that are just as helpful. Powers such as strength, speed, and heightened senses. This power is revealed to the Ruler the first time they touch the Rokis. Can someone tell us how the Ruler is chosen and why the Rokis is worn by the Ruler and the Ruler only?”

  Felipe raised his hand, and Tut’s gaze shifted from Adie to him.

  “Yes, Felipe.”

  “The Rulers of Thindoral are predestined by Fate.”

  “That is correct. The youngest born of the family line rules over Thindoral when the current Ruler retires, and the time for the retirement is chosen by the Rokis when the center gem goes dark. Only the Ruler wears it, because the pure power and goodness of the Rokis can only be used by the fated Rulers. In the wrong hands, the Rokis can be an evil weapon.” Tut smiled. “It’s nice to know the Etoyoc have chosen their representation wisely,” he said with a nod at Felipe. “Now for a treat! Come forward!” He motioned to Felipe.

  Felipe smirked, looking to Adie. “I nominate Adie to come forward in my place.”

  Adie narrowed her eyes at him, but his smile never wavered.

  “Very well. I shall need Adie and Jilu to come forward,” Tut said.

  Adie slowly stood from her seat. Her stomach twisted into knots as she felt the weight of everyone’s stare on her. She walked to the front of the room and faced Jilu, the Fae from the region of Flay.