Rise of Keitus (3 page)

Jacob blew out his breath, trying to ease the tension in his shoulders. “That’s a big responsibility. How am I going to get it done?”

“You’ll be going back in time. Follow their footsteps. Figure them out.”

“And Jacob, we’ll help wherever possible,” Dad said. “You won’t be alone.” He glanced at Azuriah. “Anything else?”

“No. I must find a place to stay here. I’ll go now and search.”

“I’ll help you later, if you’d like,” Brojan said, but the Shiengol waved him off.

“I don’t want help.”

Jacob smiled at the clipped response, but several at the table looked shocked. They still hadn’t adjusted to Azuriah’s personality.

The Shiengol left Brojan’s home, taking the uptight atmosphere with him. Jacob chuckled when he saw that the others at the table relaxed as Azuriah left.

“That guy is way too intense,” Matt said. “He’s got to lighten up or all of us will die of heart attacks.”

“He mentioned the Molgs,” Aldo said. “I used to have a map of their tunnel system.” He turned to the Fat Lady. “Did you happen to come across it while cleaning out my cabin?”

“I don’t think so.”

“Once everything has settled down here, we should locate it.”

Dad got to his feet. “Jacob, that’s your task. After you’re on a working schedule with Azuriah and your tutor, Time-See and find that map.”

He ended the meeting, telling everyone to continue with what they were working on, and then had Jacob return them all to their homes.

On Saturday morning, Jacob woke to a knock on his door. He rolled over, kicking off his blankets. “Who is it?”

“Me,” Mom said. “I’m coming in.”

She opened the door and raised an eyebrow at the crumpled bedding on the floor. “Your tutor will be here in five minutes. I thought I told you last night that you needed to be up by seven thirty.”

“Five minutes? And no, you didn’t say anything.”

She frowned, probably trying to remember. “I think I forgot. Sorry, honey.” She looked at the empty silver box on Jacob’s desk where Early, his Minya, slept most nights. “Where’s Early? And has Uncle Azuriah contacted you? He wanted to find a time to work with you too.”

“No, he hasn’t, and Early’s out looking for honey. She left a couple of days ago.” Jacob paused, looking at his mom suspiciously. “Wait.
Uncle
Azuriah?”

Mom flushed and rubbed the back of her neck, her eyes flicking from the floor to Jacob. “I really looked up to him as a child.”

The doorbell rang, and Mom turned to leave. “That must be your tutor. Go comb your hair or something, and I’ll let him in.”

Jacob jumped out of bed and scampered around, trying to find jeans and a T-shirt. His mind wasn’t on the task, though. Uncle? Why would Mom say that? They must’ve been
really
close because she never called other people by titles they didn’t hold. And he definitely wasn’t her uncle.

Jacob dashed downstairs, pausing at the entrance to the living room. Aldo was in there, talking to a man sitting with his back to the stairs. Seeing Jacob, Aldo quickly excused himself and went into the kitchen. Had the old man walked the whole way to Mendon?

Mom pushed Jacob the rest of the way into the room, but he jerked to a stop when the man on the couch got up and turned around.

Jacob’s mouth popped open. “Mr. Coolidge?”

Chapter Two: Tunnel Map

Jacob’s former math teacher smiled, the colors around him showing satisfaction, possibly because of Jacob’s surprised reaction.

“Yes. Shocked? Disappointed? Sorry.” He turned to Mom. “Where do you want us?”

“You’ll be using my study.” She led the way across the living room and opened her office door, then stepped back, allowing the other two to enter. “Have fun.”

Jacob fidgeted with his shirt, rolling the loose fabric into a ball. Mr. Coolidge made himself comfortable behind the desk, sitting where Mom usually sat, and motioned to the chair across from him. Jacob fell into it.

“I’ll be meeting with you twice a week, Saturday mornings at eight for two hours and Tuesdays after school for one hour.” He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the wooden top, fingers clasped. “I have to admit, I was very curious about you being pulled out of school.” His dark eyes were probing.

“Yeah.” Jacob wasn’t sure how much Mr. Coolidge knew, but he wasn’t about to spill the beans before talking to his parents.

Apparently recognizing he wouldn’t get much out of the student, Mr. Coolidge opened a briefcase and pulled out papers. “You still have your books from school?”

Jacob nodded.

“Good. We’ll be using them. My purpose isn’t to teach you, but to guide you in teaching yourself. We’ll focus directly on the things you struggle with, and I’ll assign other material for you to work on throughout the week.”

Jacob nodded again when Mr. Coolidge looked up at him.

“Today, we’ll figure out where you are in all your subjects.”

They first went over history, then science, English, and finally math. When the two hours ended, Jacob slumped in the chair and Mr. Coolidge leaned back, removing his reading glasses.

Jacob’s brain felt like it had been pummeled by a boxer, but he was relieved—he wasn’t behind at all, and Mr. Coolidge would be searching for more advanced things for him to study. To Jacob’s satisfaction, the colors swirling around Mr. Coolidge showed the session had been challenging for him as well.

After promising Mr. Coolidge he’d complete all his assignments, Jacob showed him out the door. Matt came into the living room, holding his cell. “Just got a text from Kevin. He wants to come over and play basketball with us and Aloren. You cool with that? Aloren is on her way from the tree.”

Jacob shrugged. He didn’t care. Okay, he did—it still really bothered him that Aloren and Kevin were dating, but there wasn’t anything he could do about it. “Sure, why not.”

It took fifteen minutes for them to arrive. They split into teams—Jacob and Matt against Aloren and Kevin. Halfway through the game, Aldo bounced through the front door and dashed off the porch.

“I want to learn. Dmitri talks about this game all the time.”

Jacob laughed. Even though Aldo had way too much energy for an old man, it still was difficult to picture the scrawny guy playing basketball. But Jacob and Kevin took turns anyway teaching Aldo the basics, including dribbling and shooting. Aldo picked it up quickly, shocking everyone.

Jacob and Kevin decided to start the game over, putting Aldo and Aloren on Jacob’s team, and Matt with Kevin. Jacob’s team won two games and he couldn’t keep the grin off his face when Kevin got annoyed and insisted that he and Aloren go do something else. Jacob turned to Aldo. “Too bad you aren’t younger. You’d have a shot at the NBA!”

Aldo chuckled. “NBA. Another thing I’ve heard your father speak about.”

Jacob nodded. “That’s not surprising.”

The three of them went inside to get water. It was chilly outdoors, but playing basketball always made Jacob thirsty.

Right as he finished his drink, Early appeared next to him. “Azuriah wants to meet with you now.”

The memory of Mom calling Azuriah “Uncle” rushed back to Jacob, and he decided to ask Azuriah about it, regardless of how the Shiengol might verbally abuse him for his impertinence. Which, inevitably, he would.

Azuriah had picked a spot of land on the other side of the Makalo farms and quickly constructed a small fortress with the help of, well, everyone, including Jacob’s family. Jacob chuckled. The Shiengol had been pretty demanding, actually.

He had made it very clear that Jacob was never to Key directly to his fortress. Instead, Jacob would be Keying to the village and walking the mile across the Makalo fields and gardens.

Azuriah waited outside his heavy stone-and-wood door. His long, dark hair blew in the breeze, and Jacob was reminded of a girl he’d known in middle school who constantly chewed on the ends of her hair, grossing him out. It was the same color as the Shiengol’s, and nearly as long. Jacob chuckled. He kept his thoughts to himself, positive Azuriah would not be amused.

The Shiengol gestured for Jacob to enter the small fortress. It was well lit with huge windows and fancy candles in even fancier holders. Jacob barely glanced around. He’d seen enough of the fortress decorations to last him two or three lifetimes. Azuriah had made everyone help lug the heavy wood and stone furniture into the place from August Fortress, and Jacob’s arms still ached.

What amazed Jacob, though, was how fast the fortress had been built with Wurbies, humans, and Makalos helping the one Shiengol. Three days was all it had taken, including the furnishings.

Azuriah motioned for Jacob to have a seat at a table in the front room.

“Have you practiced Time-Seeing?” Azuriah asked.

“Yeah. A lot.” Jacob thought back to the several days when he’d been a Lorkon prisoner. He’d gotten quite good at Time-Seeing, actually.

Wanting to ask his question before Azuriah got started, Jacob said, “Earlier today, my mom called you Uncle Azuriah. Why?”

Azuriah glared at Jacob. “You aren’t ready for the answer.”

Jacob crossed his arms and clenched his jaw, but remembered his manners before saying something rude. “That can’t be an excuse any longer. I’ve been exposed to a lot of things I wasn’t ‘
ready
’ for.”

“Fair enough.” Azuriah turned from Jacob, hands behind his back. He stared at the elaborate painting gracing the wall in front of him. “I told you that some of your abilities were more pure, more clean than others, and that they were inherited. Well, they come from a Shiengol in your family line.”

“Shiengol? I’ve got Shiengol blood in me?”

Azuriah kept his back to Jacob, but the colors around him showed impatience. “Yes. Through your mother and her mother. Your grandmother is my niece.”

“I
am
related to you?” Jacob’s jaw dropped. Whoa. Then dizziness hit him when he realized what else this revelation meant. He wasn’t completely huma—He pushed away from the table, unable to finish the thought. “I’m not—I’m part—I . . . Whoa. Oh . . . wow. Wow!” How was any of this possible? He’d never, ever considered it. Some random creature’s blood flowed through his own. A creature he’d never even heard of six months ago. Wait until he told Matt! His parents! But . . . his parents already knew. He scowled. Why hadn’t they told him a long time ago?

Azuriah turned, the expression on his face enough to tell Jacob the answer to his unspoken question. He really didn’t have patience for people who didn’t listen to his counsel or respect his wishes, and obviously, he hadn’t wanted Jacob to know his heritage.

Azuriah stood with arms folded, waiting for Jacob to finish computing this new piece of information. Jacob took a deep breath and pulled himself up to the table again. “My mom has magic?”

Azuriah flicked his gaze upward as if that were the dumbest thing he’d ever heard. “No. Of course she doesn’t. Have you seen her do anything that would mark her as a Shiengol?”

Jacob immediately shook his head.

“That’s because she isn’t magical.”

“But . . .”

Azuriah swatted at the air. “Your mother carries the trait, but doesn’t exhibit it. You carry
and
show the trait.” Azuriah picked up a small mirror from the table under the painting and held it out. “What do you see when you look at yourself?”

Jacob glanced in the mirror. He was tempted to say something about how good-looking he was, but knew Azuriah wouldn’t put up with it. “Uh . . . tannish skin, dark hair, blue eyes.”

“Light blue. Some would say
very
light.”

Jacob nodded. He’d always known his eyes were much more crystal in color than other people’s. “So . . . that’s proof that I exhibit the gene?”

“Yes. Your mother’s are blue, but those she could’ve gotten from any one of her ancestors. The Shiengol diamond-colored eyes, when passed through to a human, show in the form of an exceptionally clear color. Not pure, like a true Shiengol, but close.”

Jacob put the mirror down. “This is insane, you know.”

The Shiengol leaned forward, looking directly at Jacob. By now, Jacob was used to the brilliant glare of Azuriah’s eyes, but this close he squinted, almost looking away.

“You’ve got a
lot
to learn and we don’t have time to wait for you to adjust to every single little piece of information I give you,” Azuriah said. “You must master all your abilities as quickly as possible.”

Jacob nodded. He was ready to get to work.

Azuriah took him through the drills: First, getting in the mode, then clearing his mind, then Time-Seeing. He had Jacob practice by searching for Aldo’s map.

Jacob unfocused his eyes, stared ahead, and zoomed in on Aldo’s cabin in the present time. He rewound through the past and watched as a group of people Keyed to the cabin. His vision blackened, marking the time when he was there. He now understood that his magical abilities prevented him from ever seeing himself in the past.

After the cabin was destroyed, one of the Molgs bent over and picked up an old leather map. He held it to the sunlight and grinned. Jacob barely discerned the words “Dunsany Tunnels” on the leather before the Molg tucked it into his waist band.