A Whole New Beginning

A/N: I do not own any of the characters seen in the Gemma Doyle Trilogy.

Chapter One

The drive in Fowlson's sleek carriage is agitating. I wonder about Kartik. Is he riding the Orlando at this moment, going back to India? My mind keeps wandering back and forth between Kartik and Tom. My brother, why can't he, even once, listen to me?

"Where is Tom located?" I demand. I do not like this feeling. "And why, Mr. Fowlson, do you always do their bidding? Whatever can you gain from it?" He looks at me briefly. He stops the carriage and pulls a cloth from his pocket.

"You shan't need to know." It is a blindfold. I do not resist as he ties it. "An' as for my reward, all is in good time." He secures the knot at the back of my head.

I hear his footsteps leaving, and I cannot help but taunt him further. "Is that the reason why you are here, Mr. Fowlson?" I feign innocence.

He comes back, now tying my wrists together. I can hear the glower in his voice, "That is none of your business. But once we 'ave the magic…" he trails off, assuming that I already know where that is going. And I do.

The rest of the drive is in silence. I hear the clacking sounds of the horses' footsteps and the whirling of the wheels. We do not travel far after that. I feel the carriage slows down and the horses come to a stop. " 'Ere we are," I hear him say. "This way," then, I feel him tug at the ropes on my wrist. I stand up and he leads me, with his hand on the rope.

It feels like it has been hours, as I put one foot in front of the other. I cannot see and he has my hands in a bind. A creaking resonates, a door has been opened. Then, all is silent. Whispers start to grow and the blindfold loosens. My eyes slowly adjust themselves to the dimly lit room. It is full of candles and cloaked figures are just behind the burning wax.

"Tom!" My voice sounds so loud compared to the hushed whispers around me. Then I look at my hands when Fowlson cuts the rope. The rope falls to my feet, yet my gaze is steady at his hands. At what is in his hands. It is Kartik's dagger. The one I lost when Kartik and I were running away. The very same dagger that Kartik gave me as a Christmas present. It was lost when Kartik betrayed the brotherhood. The Megh Sambara. My eyes open wide in surprise. Why did Fowlson keep it? Judging by his name, he is not Indian.

I walk to my brother once I am freed. He is so far away. I start to run, and a voice booms above me. "Stop her, at once!"

Shadows start coming in from both sides of me, but I keep going. "Gemma," Tom slurs. That makes me halt. "Don't fret. It's just an in…inish…"

"An initiation," I finish for him.

"Yes."

The shadows stop moving and I face them. "Why do you need him for?" I ask, though I already know the answer to that. They want my power. In exchange for my gift, they want to trade Tom. I cannot have it. I will not be a pawn in their game. Tom, who is tied down to a chair, without a blindfold or any other constraints, looks at me. His gaze is not steady. He is drugged. I feel anger rising up, and along with it, is my power. I cannot hold it back. But, I must. If I won't, then the Rakshana will find out that I have the power; not the Order.

I look at the group of hooded men. One of them has to be Simon's father. I want to reason out that the Order and the Rakshana should make an alliance against the dark forces of the realms. Yet, I know that this would just be tedious since they set their minds on only one thing. My power. To gain and control it. To rule the realms by means of it. Thus, I do not seek him out. I turned my head to Fowlson, then at the dagger by his hips. Calm down, Gemma, I thought to myself. It would be no good if I just unleash the magic flowing through me. My powers are too strong for me to command. It would be a catastrophe.

Slowly, ever so slowly, I let my power seep out – little by little. "Stay," I command the members of the Rakshana who are closer to me. They are rooted in place. I run to Fowlson. I know that I cannot match his strength, but maybe…just maybe, my agility and smaller form would make up for the disadvantage I have.

I run. Fast. Then, I collide with Fowlson. I have taken him by surprise and with that small amount of time, I manage to twist myself and grab the dagger. It takes him little time to figure out what I intend to do. His arms start to encircle me, but I bring the dagger down, injuring him.

He yelps in pain, the other members running to close in on me. "Get her!" I hear a voice command. I place both of my palms up, expelling more of my magic, the dagger tucked inside the sash of my waist. They are thrown aside as I make my through to Tom.

My brother's eyes are wide. He hasn't expected this to happen. What did the Rakshana tell him? That once he joined, it'll be all tea and crumpets? More of the Rakshana fellows run after me. The magic is flowing vigorously now. Sooner than I thought, then it will be a disaster. I try to grasp it, try to command it. But it is too much. With a scream, I stop suddenly. I fell on my knees and I cradle my arms. I clutch my chest. It hurts. This pain coursing inside my body. With a very powerful force, all the men slam against the wall and when they try getting up, they found themselves bound by an invisible force. They cannot move.

I feel like minutes have passed, even hours. Yet it is only seconds and the whole thing is over. I look around. Good. The spell usually lasts for an hour or two. I stand and make my way to Tom and I release the ropes around him.

"Come," I say.

Tom nods. This must be a shock for him. We go out of the room and when we get outside, I see that the place is near where Kartik used to live. We walk in silence then we hail for a carriage. We sit inside and wait for the driver. I can hear him talking to another. "…head to the Key?" Key?

"Aye." I hear the other say. I must investigate further. They must have finished their conversation since the carriage starts moving. The silence is deafening and Tom breaks it by conferring about the situation we were in.

"Was that…real?" What other explanation can support what just happened? I look at him and I manage to keep a sigh from coming.

"Yes. It was. Like I was trying to tell you before. I…mother did not die because of that silly excuse of an illness. She died because she was…hunted." I try to explain.

"Hunted?"

"Yes. Amar…Kartik's brother was there. He was protecting mother. But…this demon – no, creature – was too powerful and both of them were forced to face a perilous situation," I whisper. Then I added, "Amar was part of that brotherhood. But…it seems that the Rakshana turned their beliefs around."

"And you? What part do you play in this?" I smile wistfully. I want to answer that as truthfully as I can, yet, I am in the dark as much as he is.

"I…"

"Those powers. It was unbelievable," Tom sighs. "It was like this whole magnitude of an earthquake. But I know it wasn't an earthquake because no one could be thrown about if it is." He rakes his hand in his hair, his eyes closing in fatigue. I guess this is too much for him to bear. He looked so tired when he leaned against the carriage door.

"I think…I am the one that needs to stop everything. To bring peace in that other realm." My role has not been specified, however I am the hope for the realm creatures. Even when some of them think I am a traitor.

The path looks familiar now; we are closer to home. I want to mention another thing to Tom: about father and his illness. When I do though, Tom just shakes his head and says, "That was not because of your power Gemma. Father…papa…he was already like that. His habit between opium and alcohol has been constant ever since mother died. You did not notice because you didn't want to believe it. You made yourself believe that he was alright and these…mishaps…only happened recently. But they did not. They were from a long time ago."

I am silent the whole ride until we reach home. I let him inside the house first, then I turn to the driver. "Wait here." I go inside and find Tom waiting for me.

"What took you?" he asks.

"My skirt got stuck." And I show him where the rip is, which happened when I attacked Fowlson. We head to the parlor and ponder about the day. Then, a while later, Tom silently bids me goodnight. I watch his flitting figure as he climbs up the stairs. I see his light open, giving a dim-lit view of his room.

I am still sitting, wondering what I am going to do next. Tom closes his door, then turns off his light. Door…the Key holds the truth…I remember the picture in the book. A key or the Key? Knowing that everyone is asleep, I saunter back to the door, and I ride the carriage.

"Where to, miss?"

"Is there a place called the Key?" I ask the driver.

"Yes, mu'm. It is full of boats." Boats?

"I am to meet a friend at this place. But I do not know where it is," I start weaving a lie. "He told me that I only have to say 'the Key', yet I thought he was making a jest of me."

"No, mu'm. Th' Key is like a 'arbor but it is fu' of vagabonds and th' stench is just foul. No lady like 'ourself - " before he finishes the sentence, I thrust the bag of money. I do not want to hear the warning and I shan't care of the danger.

"To the Key we go," I order, my voice firm.

The travel is not long, but the silence is. As I look out at the window, I see the shops, innkeepers, the greenery and then the boats pass by. The picture of the harbor in the book was thoroughly depicted. So, it wasn't a painting, I thought. It was a window.

" 'Ere we are, miss." I do not notice that we have stopped. His voice breaks through the silence and I thank him for driving me. I step out and I notice that the Key is where Fowlson and his men chased me and Kartik – the place close to the sewer. "Be careful." With the last warning, the driver whips the reins and the horses start to move.

I turn to face the water. I see people laying about, others arguing whether or not the fortune they found is theirs. I walk a little to the right, searching for the correct boat. Then I see it. It is small and full of rust. The paint is torn off. The woods creak when I step on them. The stench is unbearable and I am forced to breath through my mouth. I go inside the boat, my palm slides to the wall as I proceed further in without any light to guide me except for the moon's. What now?

I close my eyes and I silently pray for Wilhelmina. If you can hear me, please appear, I chant repeatedly. A faint light obscures my vision when I open my eyes. Wilhemlina? I follow the light. It heads up the stairs and stands in front of the farthest door. She lets me catch up to her before going inside.

I put my hands on the door handle and I twist it. It is not locked. The hinges creak softly and when I fully open it, the foul smell hit me hard. It is mixture of sweat, urine, blood and corpse. I look around for any sign of dead bodies and struggles but I found none. My eyes stray to the wall where the white figure is waiting. I see the messages written in bloody marks. I cross the room and read it. "She deceived us all," and on the other wall, "A monster." Slowly, I feel myself being drugged and falling in a vision.

I see Miss Spence, Miss McCleethy, Miss Moore, Wilhelmina, my mother and few other women sitting on the field of flowers. It seems only a couple of women are teachers at Spence Academy. They are discussing something that I can't hear. I stride closer to them, and their mouths still moving with no sounds coming out. They do not look at me and that is when I know that I am in the past.

I look around the area. I see the river and the gentle slopes of the garden full of orchids and daisies as well as other flowers I can't name. I've entered the realms. Then the scene shifts before me, now I am at school; in Miss Nightwing's office. I see Miss Nightwing and Miss Spence talking. I walk around the room and when I am facing the door, I see two students sneaking past the room. I follow them. It was my mother and Sarah – Miss Moore. They are hurrying to the East Wing.

The scene shifts again. Every time it shifts, I get dizzier. This time, the East Wing is burning. The flame crackles and grows. The curtains catch on fire and there are two girls hugging each other, kneeling on the floor. Their faces have black smudges. They are screaming at something…for someone. I look at the place that caught their attention and slowly, I witness a huge shadowed hand coming out of the fire. Miss Spence and a child in her arms – Carolina – suddenly disappear in a blinding light.

Once again, the shift happens. I am back at the realms, the Winterlands. I see unsightly creatures dragging Miss Spence in front of a tree. The wind blows. And for the first time in this vision, I hear a voice. "Come…" it whispers. Just like when I was touching the tree, the voice is passionate, loving. Like a mother's gentle whisper. Miss Spence shakes her head and the creatures clutch her hair, forcing her to look up.

"Come…" It murmurs again. Miss Spence closes her eyes. I know the feeling she is experiencing. It is like a warm embrace on a winter's cold night, a protection against anything you've been terrified about. Unbeknown to Miss Spence, the creatures behind her holds something in their hands.

I am surprised at how fast the movement is. But I see every little detail of it. The Winterland creatures bring it down. It is a sharp make-shift dagger made of wood. She arches back in pain, her mouth opening. She does not scream, yet her expression shows everything – her eyes squinting, her brows furrowing and her teeth clenching. Her hand closes tightly, scrunching the snow underneath until her knuckles turn white.

The creatures continue to pound on her back until it is full of gashes. Her clothes torn, as well as her skin. Her back in not recognizable. Blood flow endlessly and once more, I hear the lulling voice. "Come to me…" The roots of the tree slithers, taking in her blood. Then it is dark.

Another scene appears before me. It didn't shift like the other previous visions. The Winterland creatures are bowing to the tree, and its branches hug the lifeless form of Miss Spence. It swallows her in. Dark consumes again. Without warning, I hear a voice. It is Miss Spence's. A view materializes and I see the tree. Where's Miss Spence? Didn't I hear her voice? A voice sighs and it is different from before. Then I see the creatures taking life after life after life. The sacrifice. The tree. The blood. The red sky. It all makes sense now. Miss Spence is the Tree of All Souls.

"Bring her to me." I hear her say. "She is what we need. She has the power to sustain and destroy, to give life and take life, to change, to fulfill. She is what I need." The creatures bow. "Bring her to me. I need her life to regain mine. I need her blood to change my destiny. I need her power to rule and govern this wasted land. " she orders.

The scene dies down and now, I am looking at the fog filled boat. Is the vision over? The fog thickens. Apparently not. "The East Wing must be repaired. The Order shall prevail." Wilhelmina reads and she is wholly happy to be able to communicate to Eugenia once again. She tells the other Order members and they start rebuilding the Wing. Yet, she sees the darkness and the truth dawns upon her. She tries to warn the Order but they do not heed her warning. Try after unsuccessful try, and with one last attempt, she writes a letter and she keeps the dagger inside a box. She carries it with her all the time when she is with the con of a magician and she never parts with it until I see her drown.

I wake up with a gasp. I see the sun rising, indicating that I have been unconscious for a grand amount of time. I have clearly forgotten the stench and it all comes back to me. I gag and I dig into my pockets for a handkerchief. But what I pull out and hurriedly cover my nose with is Kartik's red cloth.

I smell the heady scent of spice, of cinnamon and of the evergreens. I miss Kartik terribly. I wonder what he is doing now. But I must clear my head and direct my motivation on defeating the Tree of All Souls. If it all ends…not if, but when. When it all ends, then I will go and search for him. No matter how long in takes. No matter where I go. No matter if he has moved on and happily living with his new life. I must see him just once. Just only once and I will be full of joy.

I stand up and walk outside the tiny boat. I must warn the others now. I shall tell them that they have to cease reconstructing the East Wing or the portal to the realms would reappear and the creatures would start haunting our world. My world. The human world. Where there is no magic, where there is an equilibrium between evil and good, where women gossip and men gamble. But for now, I am going to head home and wait until school arrives.

I spy a bicycle and I hope that it is good enough of transportation since I do not have any money with me to pay for a carriage. This road is flat out stable, thus I will not fall and tumble down when I ride it.

I feel sleepy, nevertheless, I pedal as hard as I can to make it to the Doyle household before grandmamma wakes up.

A/N:

Next on A Whole New Beginning:

Gemma finds out that Mr. van Ripple is more contempt that she has originally thought. What does this illusionist have to hide? And Felicity is slowly coming to her senses when it comes to Pippa. How would she react if she knows the truth?

Stay Tuned!!