portal prophecies 01 - keepers destiny (12 page)

Micca read over this list and let out a breath of air loudly. “This is an advanced potion, the items in it are hard to obtain. I don't even know how you came about this recipe. We could search the forest for days and never find the plants and roots we need to create an antidote and to be honest, we don't have that much time.”

“Willow!” Nyssa exclaimed. “Is she still in town?”

“Yes, she is resting at her friend's house, Clairity. But how will that help us?” he asked.

“She can grow anything. It's part of her abilities. She could grow the plants you need right here in seconds,” Nyssa said.

“If she can do that, we could save these boys. Could someone bring her here? Time is running out.”

Two guards woke Willow from her sleep and summoned her to Micca. They filled her in on the details of what had transpired on the way.

“What do you need?” she asked upon arriving, skipping all pleasantries.

The next hour the two spent outside. Micca would describe a plant and Willow would grow any that resembled its description. He could then pick the one he needed and harvest the flower, leaf or root required for the potion. After that came the juicing, cutting, blending of ingredients and a touch of magic. Once finished, the antidote was administered to all three boys and all there was to do was wait.

Nebulah stayed in the background, not wanting to disturb the process, but anxious for information as to the outcome. “Will they be okay?” she finally asked getting the attention of everyone else waiting.

“We won't know for a bit yet. The antidote needs a chance to run through their bodies. It should work, if the list I was given was complete. It is close though. The poison has been in them a long time,” Micca answered.

“And Jade?” Willow asked without looking at Nebulah.

“She will be treated as anyone would who committed such an act. Punishment will be severe I am sure and the town will be invited to the hearing if they wish to attend,” Nebulah answered without emotion. “The afternoon of the second sunrise from now should give sufficient time for the fate of the boys to be known and a trial before Council to be readied.” She turned and left the house, heading back to the castle to give the news to her husband. Camile and Nyssa followed behind her not knowing what to say but understanding Camile too would have to answer for her part in the deception.

Willow walked outside and sat on the front steps. Clairity had been waiting outside and promptly sat down beside her. There were still a few hours of daylight left. The town was quiet and empty.

“It isn't over yet,” Clairity said breaking the silence. “Something is coming. I can feel it.”

“No, it isn't over,” Willow replied to her friend. “Everything is happening so fast I don't know if I can keep up. I don't know if I want to. Three weeks ago life was so much easier. Ignorance is bliss.”

“What do you think they will do to her?” Clairity asked.

“Not sure, I guess it depends on whether or not.” Her words stopped. It was the first time she realized her friends could actually die. A lump grew in her throat and tears began to swell in her eyes. At the same time, clouds appeared in the sky and bits of rain began to fall. She took a deep breath and said, “stop,” out loud. The clouds swirled and vanished from sight.

Her friend was in awe. “You did that!” she exclaimed not as a question but rather a statement. “I totally saw you make those clouds come and go.”

Willow would have normally been happy to share every detail she had learnt about her abilities in the last day, but now wasn't the time. She couldn't be enthusiastic about anything with Jessie, Dezi and Pete fighting for their lives. She nodded to her friend affirming that the weather change was her doing.

The girls heard the door close behind them and spun their heads round to see Micca. He sat down beside Willow.

“They seem to be responding well so far. The seizures have stopped and colour is returning to their bodies. It was lucky you were here. That's some talent you have,” he said.

“How long before they wake up? I'd like to be here, but I have to be back to the forest for dark. I have some research I am doing with a friend. It's important.”

“Research? That sounds interesting. What exactly are you researching?” he asked back.

Willow had to think quickly. She wasn't ready to let everyone know about Kiera and Aslo, not until they could officially separate from her anyway. She also couldn't say prophecies about the end of the world and probably not a good idea to say she was trying to figure out how to find out if her parents were still alive. “How to talk to trees,” she blurted out. Seeing the strange looks she was getting from both sides of her she added, “I think we have discovered that they react differently to common words. It's fascinating really.”

Micca chuckled. “I bet it is. If all goes as planned the boys should be moving about anytime, so you should get back to your tree conversations on time.” He stood up and went back inside the house.

After the door had closed, Clairity turned to her and said, “How to talk to trees? Really? You are so bad at lying.”

“Come with me tonight and I can show you.” She hoped her friend would catch on to her reluctance to discuss things in front of listening ears.

“Not much else to do around here at the moment. I'll ask mom.”

Only a few moments after Clairity left, the door behind them opened and Jessie stumbled out still shaky on his legs. He sat down on the steps and rubbed his neck.

“How are you feeling?” Willow asked.

“Like I almost died. Stiff and aching everywhere, every muscle and joint,” he answered.

“Your brothers?”

“Fine, just taking a bit longer to walk about. It would be nice if someone would tell us what happened.”

“You don't know?”

“No, last thing I remember I was talking with Dezi and Pete about the dance. I was thinking I would ask Ashlyn and Pete would ask Clairity so we could all go together.”

“Would have been nice,” Willow said looking down.

“Did something happen to one of the girls?” he asked with a look of concern.

“No, no. But the dance was last night. You went with Jade. All three of you.”

Micca had stepped outside just in time to hear what she said. “Perhaps Jessie should take some time before getting into the details of what happened. I don't want too much information too fast to cause shock.”

“Sorry. I didn't know,” Willow replied.

“I want to know,” Jessie said holding his head.

“Later, your parents can fill you in with the details. For now you need rest. Back inside.”

After saying their goodbyes, Willow walked up the street to the Posh house. Clairity and her mother were standing outside and she filled them in with the condition of the brothers. Her friend had a bag with some clothes and personal items ready.

“Where will you girls stay?” Mrs. Posh asked.

“A fort,” Willow answered. “In the forest, it's well hidden and safe.”

“Sounds exciting. You girls be safe and if anything happens, anything at all, come right back. You understand? Both of you?”

The girls nodded and headed off together into the forest. Once out of sight Willow asked her friend, “Do you trust me?” Without waiting for an answer, she grabbed Clairity's hand and climbed a staircase of branches to the top of the trees. Her friend was speechless and excited. Together the girls walked on top of the forest all the way back to where Nathan was waiting. Following a staircase down, Clairity was stunned by the sight of the stone building standing before her. Before she could speak, Willow grabbed her hand, moved inside and explained the story with Nathan's help.

The three spent the evening learning from Nathan about the books he had read and talking about far off exotic lands. The two girls would later spend the night in Willow's room together, Nathan sleeping soundly in the bedroom beside them.

The next morning, they had fruit for breakfast. Nathan found a book specifically outlining how to train a seer to develop visions more clearly. Clairity and Nathan decided to spend the day trying to expand her psychic abilities, while Willow went into town to grow food for the people and check on the condition of Jessie, Dezi and Pete. She returned in the afternoon with not much to report. The boys were stronger but still lacked memories of what happened and the hearing for Jade was still scheduled for the next day, which Willow planned to attend.

Chapter Eleven

Sabrina and Justin walked into the castle's sitting room and sat down to join Neil. The scandalous events of the last few weeks were on the tips of their tongues. The news had spread quickly of Jade's and Camile's confinement to quarters pending the outcome of tomorrow's hearing.

“If you are here to discuss Jade, I don't want to hear it. She is still my friend and she isn't here to tell us what happened,” Neil said not wasting time.

“Poor Camile is locked up because of her, or did you forget she is our friend too,” Sabrina replied.

“How do you know it wasn't Camile's idea?” he asked.

Everyone was sure Sabrina had known about the love potion and perhaps was even in on the plans, but she wasn't about to confess to anything and end up in a hearing herself.

“I just believe Camile. That's all,” she responded. “If you want Jade's version, why don't you go talk to her? Let's face it, we all know the reason you are taking her side is because you have a crush on her. Perhaps you don't want to believe she gave a love potion to three other guys?”

“Even if she did give a love potion to that lot, it wasn't because she was interested in any of them. I guarantee that.”

Neil didn't want to continue the argument any further than it had gone, especially since his name might also come up at the hearing tomorrow as a supporter if he wasn't careful. But thinking about what Sabrina had said, she was right. He needed to go talk to Jade and to hear her side of the story for himself.

He climbed the staircase and came to the door to her room. There was a magic lock on the door which could not be opened by anyone other than Ozias. He slid the palm of his hand on the smooth wood and after getting up enough courage, he knocked.

“Jade, are you there?”

Jade moved to the door on the other side and put her ear against it. “Neil? Is that you?”

“Yes,” he said with a smile. “I wanted to check on you, make sure you were okay, well as best as you could be.”

Both slid to the floor and sat in front of their sides of the door.

“Yeah, I guess...It isn't how people are making it out. It didn't happen that way. You believe me don't you?” she asked.

“I figured that. Camile is having her hearing after yours so hopefully she will admit to what she did.”

“Camile is having a hearing? I figured it was just me.” She had a touch of remorse in her voice. “I don't want to let her life be ruined too. The Council is going to come down hard on me, make and example of me. I know that.”

“There must be something we can do.”

“Well...there is one chance, but it's risky and I would need your help.” Jade carefully listened for the tone of Neil's voice. It would tell her if she had a chance or not.

After a few minutes he responded, “What would I have to do?”

Jade smiled, “You know how you do those tricks, changing the way a rock looks and bending metal without touching it?”

“Sure.” He loved making things look strange and getting a reaction when people saw it.

“If you could do that...with the sky.”

“What?” he answered.

“Hear me out,” she pleaded. “If you concentrated on doing that to the sky, it would weaken the boundaries between worlds and create an opening, for a short period of time, just long enough for us to escape together to another world and start a brand new life together.”

“How do you know this?”

“I...found a book in one of the restricted rooms dad forgot to lock once. It outlined the whole procedure. Seems easy enough and it's not permanent so no one would get hurt and I would be free. If I don't, I won't see you or anyone else again for many cycles.”

“You don't know that Jade. Your parents.”

“My parents,” she laughed, “are the ones looking for the most severe sentence. They are going to use me to show the town they have the people's interests in mind...to stop any possible fall out, uprising or riots. They don't need me. They have my brother. He has been their favourite since he was born. No, my parents aren't going to lift a finger to help me. They already sealed my fate.”

“I don't know Jade. We don't even know what's out there. We could walk right into something horrible.”

“How horrible could it be? We would be together, forever,” Jade replied.

“Someone is coming I have to go. I will see you tomorrow. Don't worry I will figure something out.”

Neil stood up and walked towards the stairs just as two guards turned the corner. He motioned a hello to them before heading downstairs. He definitely had a lot to think about.

Chapter Twelve

Clairity and Nathan chose to remain in the forest reading books for the day, so Willow met Ashlyn and they headed to the castle together, arriving shortly before the hearing was to take place. All of the adults from town had already assembled to hear the Council's sentence for the crimes that had been committed. Jade was sitting on one side of the Council's table and Camile was seated on the other, presumably to keep the two from talking and perhaps fabricating a story about the events that had happened the past few weeks. Jessie, Dezi and Pete were not asked to the hearing, mainly because they still had no recollection of anything that transpired, so they stayed at home with Victoria.

The Council were in their best dress and had already taken their spots. Some of the younger children of the castle were also in attendance. Jade's brother, Jordan, who had only just reached his sixth cycle, ran up and hugged his sister. A chorus of '
awe
' rang out from the crowd. Jordan was adorable. He was the sort of kid you see and can't help but pay attention to, his personality demanded it. From his short mushroom top hair cut, to the dimples when he smiled, he reeked of cuteness and no matter what he did, someone always found him entertaining and delightful.