Chapter XI
Friday morning began with a report from Blunk, who had received the message from another rebel, that Phobos had gone quiet. At first, this didn't seem unusual to Caleb. Typically, after a defeat, Phobos would reserve his wrath for his minions as opposed to doling it upon his citizens. Ever since he had been driven from the Sei'espian, Meridian enjoyed a lacuna in the prince's manuscript of mayhem, a punctuation of peace. The guards who patrolled the city and towns exercised more restraint: harassing fewer citizens, shaking down no merchants, and passing through the streets to only keep actual criminals in line.
On the other hand, Caleb felt a pinch of worry. If Phobos brooded too long, then he could devise and enact more malacious means of punishing the people for actions in which most of them had not participated.
"Rumour that diplomat coming," said Blunk, "someone from province of Ascension. Big, big someone, says rebel. Phobos prepare palace for arrival."
Just as I feared, thought the rebel leader. Phobos rarely called upon his allies for help: primarily because he was powerful enough to manage the kingdom by himself. Secondly, the types of allies who he had would hold the favour over his head for years (not that he was at all altrusitic himself, but he preferred to be a debtor rather than in debt, no matter how small).
"Either he's getting desperate," said Caleb, "or he's getting ready to make a big move and needs the extra security."
Probably snatch the princess, he added to himself.
"Why he go quiet, then?" wondered Blunk.
"He's probably shifted the soldiers so that more of them are operating covertly. That way, they can ambush any 'rabble-rousers' as opposed to being ambushed."
"This good time tell Elyon," said Blunk. "Phobos' ally not here yet. Not as strong yet. Could be big, scary wizard or ogre or..." The Passling paused and gulped. "... scary, shifty spider shifter."
"Humph! I never thought I'd ever agree with you," Caleb chuckled.
"What about book seller?"
Caleb's smile softened. Nervous though Cedric was, he had agreed that if Caleb could meet the girl and convince her to meet him at the shop after school, they would tell her the truth together.
"I don't know what'll happen to him after we tell her," he admitted. "Chances are after that, she won't go to Meridian with him, and chances are that he'll face a terrible fate after failing to get her there. But Mr. Hoffman said he's willing to risk his life for hers."
Blunk pulled a vial from one of his pockets and presented it to Caleb.
"Blunk sell him werewolf spit. Give confidence! Make bolder! And just today, for low, low fee!"
Caleb rolled his eyes and shook his head. Leave it to Passlings to profit from the worry and misfortune of others... If Cedric could have drank some potion or smudged on some unguent that instilled bravery, then he would have done so already. This was his life, though, one life given to him by the gods that could be easily snuffed by another.
"Keep your spit," said Caleb. "I gave him a pep talk last night. He'll be okay for the time being."
Blunk shrugged and slipped out of the basement, back to whatever dumpsters looked ripe for the picking.
Caleb returned to his duties at the Silver Dragon and headed for Sheffield Institute just as the bell released the students for the day. He watched the crowds of giggling, screaming, arguing, teasing, rowdy adolescents carefully for any sign of Elyon.
"Caleb!"
The rebel smiled and waved at the girls. Cornelia hurried to him and hugged him tightly.
"What are you doing here?" asked Hay Lin.
"Looking for Elyon," he said. "Mr. Hoffman and I decided that we'll talk to her together."
"About her identity?" asked Taranee, and he nodded.
Cornelia's hug tightened. "Oh, thank goodness! I'm so happy! When are you going to do it?"
"As soon as I can find her," said Caleb. "It's a little hard with all these kids running around."
"Yeah, we should be heading home before Parents' Night," said Will. "Besides, she might not talk to you if she sees you with us."
Cornelia's grip loosened, and she frowned. "Yeah... Damn it! She doesn't even look me in the eyes any more. But then again, who could blame her? We've been such lousy friends."
Caleb frowned and placed a hand upon her shoulder, but she didn't look at him. Shallow though she could be, Cornelia was capable of incredible caring. Instead of snubbing the impovershed children of rebels, she had hugged them often while in Meridian and regaled them with tales of earth, instilling the hope that (in her vernacular) "maybe, y'know, this place will look just as bright and awesome when that mean, old prince is gone." Quick to judge as she could be, nonetheless, she was loyal, recalling the smallest details of her friends, such as Will's love of frogs without Will having told her. Most important of all, Elyon was her best friend. The two resembled siblings more than Elyon and Phobos, and from what he understood, before Cornelia had become a Guardian, she and Elyon spent as many of their free hours together as possible.
But with the responsibility of guarding the Veil lumped upon her shoulders, winter had fallen upon their friendship. If the Guardians didn't act soon, the frost would settle permanently.
"Let's go," said Will, and the girls walked home.
As soon as they disappeared to the other side of the street, Caleb spotted a young girl in a long-sleeved indigo shirt.
There she is, he thought, and he hurried after her.
"Hey! Elyon!"
The girl stopped for a moment and glanced over her shoulder. She turned around and hastened her pace.
"Wait up!"
Her fast walk became an awkward jog. If not for the heavy bag on her back, she might have commenced sprinting and evaded him. Eventually, though, he reached her and leaped in her path.
"Hey! I wanted to talk to you—"
"There's nothing to talk about," she snapped, and she walked around him.
"Hey! Hey! Hey!" Caleb was not as well acquainted with her as the girls were, and so, she had no reason to feel as neglected or betrayed by him. She behaved as though he had commited some grievous crime, worthy of her disdain.
"Elyon, wait!" he begged. "What's happened?"
Then he jumped in front of her again and stopped her by holding her shoulders. She huffed and struggled, only to tense and avert her gaze from him.
"What's going on? Why won't you listen to me?" he asked.
When she gazed at him, her eyes looked darker than usual. Suddenly, he felt electricity dancing on his fingertips, and he released her. Elyon didn't know that she had magickal powers, and he didn't know to what extent she could hurt him. Chances were that the answer was plenty, more so than if she knew how to control her powers, and he was not going to risk agitating her further.
"Can you just leave me alone?" she snarled.
Caleb frowned and sighed.
"Look, Elyon," he began, "I... If I've done something to hurt you, I'm sorry. I'm sorry, and... and I... I'm just really worried about you. You don't seem as cheerful any more, like someone has done something irreperable, and I want to make it right. Please..."
Elyon crossed her arms and averted her gaze again. She fell silent as she searched for her reply. Sternly and steadily, Elyon replied, "Look, Caleb, I just... I don't want to talk to you right now. I don't wanna see you or the girls or anyone right now. I've got a lot of stuff that I've gotta work through, and I can't do that when everyone is trying to talk to me and see how I'm feeling when I just don't feel like talking.
"Now, if you excuse me, my mother is waiting for me down the street," she said, "and then I have to go to that stupid Parents' Night thing. Good-bye, Caleb."
And that was that—no lightning bolts, no being hovered off the ground and slammed into a tree. Just an angry, sad earthling girl who, as articulately as she could, insisted that she need time alone to contemplate her burdensome feelings...
Now, what? he wondered. He couldn't just rush after her and force her to come to the book store. That would cause a myriad of problems that he just didn't have the time or energy to deal with. With a groan, a curse, and a sigh, he headed to the shop to relay the news to Cedric.
The following note greeted his arrival:
Gone to Parents' Night at Sheffield Institute. 7-9 PM. - Management
"Guh!" groaned Caleb. He pounded his fist on the door anyway, peering into the shadows for any sign of the noble.
"Damn it, Cedric," he cursed under his breath.
Eventually, he appeared, walking hastily to the entrance with key in hand.
"I thought you were a customer," he whispered. "Just wait out here, and don't make a sound. I need to finish my meeting with Phobos."
"Phob—"
A golden hand stifled him, and Cedric glared to emphasize the necessity of silence. Then he retreated to the back, and his office door creaked as he shut it.
Who does that serpent think he is? thought Caleb. Talking to that tyrant still? Yeah, he can't show his true colours yet, but what the hell?
Sitting at the stool behind the check-out counter, he drummed his fingers impatiently. He tried quelling his anger with memories of the intimate times that he had spent with Cedric, smirking when he imagined that tyrant probably hadn't known a warm bed in ages. Nowadays, his precious, little serpent had come to Caleb, both in the name of the rebellion and in search of a lover who would reciprocate his ministrations.
A few minutes later, the noble reappeared and kissed his cheek.
"Where is Elyon?" he asked.
Caleb frowned. "I wasn't able to bring her. She refused to listen to me. She said that she needed time alone—away from everyone."
Cedric's brows knitted together, and he leaned against the counter. He hummed and stroked his chin, shaking his head.
"No... No... I was afraid of this," he said.
"What?"
"Ever since the girl slipped the Star of Threbe around her neck, she's become more and more distant to this world and all those who dwell within it. Her brief exposure to the stone was long enough for its energy to alter her personality, so that even though she doesn't know Meridian exists—"
"—she still feels its pull," said Caleb, and Cedric nodded.
The rebel groaned.
"Damn!"
"Indeed," said Cedric. "Our only hope is to catch her after Parents' Night tonight, and even then, we can't say anything that would inhibit her decision to avoid Meridian."
"Why not?" asked Caleb sharply.
"Because it is attracting her, Caleb! And any force that tries to repel her shall fail. We can only tell her the truth of her identity and that with her return, order will be restored."
"But if we do that, and she does go back—"
"—Phobos can't hurt her," said Cedric, and he gripped Caleb's shoulders, "and even if he got his hands on her, he won't... right away. If he tried to harm her before letting her powers reach their zenith, then he'll have no powers to absorb. It's imperative that she comes to him unharmed and stays unharmed until her powers are ripe."
Caleb sighed and looked him straight in the eyes. No lie... A cow that had grown fat and lived contently made a better meal for a lion than a skinny, sickly one. Nevertheless, a meal was a meal, and Phobos would drain Elyon of her powers eventually, as much as of it as blossomed in her.
Stroking Caleb's face, the noble spoke in his familiar soothing, throaty tone:
"Caleb, everything will be alright. Whatever happens, the girl will be safe. I promise."
Caleb didn't take the time to look for any lies. He merely smirked and grabbed his hand, kissing the knuckles.
"You promise?" he insisted.
"I promise," he repeated.
"Then I'll see you tonight," he said, and he returned to the Silver Dragon.
Caleb rode in the Lins' car to the school. The place bustled with hundreds of students and their families. The highlight of the evening was a gallery entitled the 'Family Forest,' showcasing rows and rows of family trees, drawn by nearly every student in attendance.
Parents' Night was so crowded, Caleb could spot no sign of Elyon.
"Check Mrs. Rebmann's art class," suggested Hay Lin, "Room 304. Elyon was supposed to have three of her pieces on display out of, like, a million others. She was so happy when Mrs. Rebmann told her."
That's where he headed, then. He mingled through the throng of parents, who ooo-ed and ahh-ed at their children's achievements. Asking one of the parents to point out this Mrs. Rebmann, he approached the tall, greying woman with shoulder-length hair and rimless glasses.
"Mrs. Rebmann? I'm Elyon's cousin, Caleb," he said and extended a hand. "I just wanted to swing by and take a look at her favourite class."
The teacher smiled and replied, "A pleasure to meet you! Yes, take a look around. I'm sure you'll easily pick out her work. Now, if only I could pick her out of this crowd."
Caleb frowned as they began to walk around the room.
"You haven't seen her?"
"Not yet," sighed Mrs. Rebmann. "The poor creature hasn't been herself lately. She isn't painting at the level that I know she can. But..."
She paused as they reached the front of the class. She swept her hand before three finished compositions, each framed in a black matte.
"... when she is happy, she creates inspired things."
Caleb had to confess, Elyon was actually very talented. Her pastel self-portrait was uncanny, and while she had a few years to go before fully grasping perspective, her painting of a town (which bore an eerie resemblance to Meridian) wasn't half-bad.
The composition with gold medal qualities (in fact, there it was! Not a medal, actually, but a gold ribbon) was the black-and-white pencil drawing of a half-serpent half-man coiled around a great tree. She had paid every leaf and scale studious attention, and the striking resemblance of the human face to Cedric gave Caleb a chill.
"Elyon put the most love into this one," said Mrs. Rebmann. "She would come in to school early, right as I was getting ready for the day, and would come back after school to work on it. I think this is definitely a portfolio-worthy piece! Why! I instantly recognised her muse when he stepped into class tonight."
Caleb's heart skipped.
"Mr. Hoffman is here?"
"Yes. A real gentleman, too. I can see why Elyon was so inspired by—"
"Do you know where he went, ma'am?"
Mrs. Rebmann's smile flattened, and her eyebrows knitted together. "He, uh, probably to the gym. I think he's the one who headed the family tree project."
Caleb bowed his head and thanked her before hurrying to the gymnasium. He trawled through the faces for the flash of gold that only the noble had. He managed to spy Will with her mother, admiring something on the makeshift walls.
"Will!" he called.
"Caleb! What's up?" she asked.
"Have you seen Mr. Hoffman? I need to talk to him."
"Yeah, he's just over—"
Will pointed to the stack of wrestling mats against the wall, but no Cedric stood there.
"Oh! He must have left," she said.
"Have you talked to Elyon at all?"
Will frowned and crossed her arms.
"If you consider getting the stink eye from her communication, yeah. Maybe."
Will's mother frowned also and placed a hand upon her shoulder.
"Will, you just need to give Elyon some time," said Ms. Vandom. "Eventually, you girls will work through whatever the problem is."
"I hope so," said Will.
As much as Caleb wanted to stick close to Will, he had a princess and a noble to find. After walking around the gym twice and spotting signs of neither, Caleb ducked into one of the empty, quieter halls to gather his thoughts.
A light flickered suddenly down another corridor, similar to the energy that emanated from morphing shape-shifters. He dashed to the source and gaped at the sight.
A Galhot man in earthling business attire and a Galhot woman in a skirt, jacket, and blouse sat crumpled on the floor. Cedric towered behind them with the Star of Threbe held high, while Elyon cringed on the stairs behind him, shrieking.
"Cedric!"
The noble whipped around, eyes wide with shock. The rebel gazed at the quivering girl and approached her, reaching for her shoulder.
"Elyon, are you—"
"You!" Her voice was sharp, the flames in her eyes blazing. Caleb stopped and took a step back.
"You lied," she snarled. "Cedric was right about you."
She turned to the Galhots and shouted, "Cedric was right about all of you!"
Then she scurried from the stairs and clinged to Cedric's trenchcoat.
The Galhots trembled as they stood, clutching one another for support. A faint, green glow surrounded them as they shifted into humans. Caleb gasped. Were they rebels? Members of the refugees known as 'Veil-hoppers'? What—
"Hey! Wait!"
Before anyone could grab Elyon or jump on Cedric, the noble snatched her hand and dashed through the halls. Caleb cursed and hurried after them.
Damn it! If he shifts, I'm not gonna be able to fight him off, he realised. He needed the Guardians, but he needed to gather them quickly.
With adrenaline pumping through his body, Caleb managed to gather the girls, much to the confusion of their parents. Chances were that Cedric would not exit on the east, where all the cars were parked and all the families entering. He would head west for the school entrance, through which no one entered and hence no one would spot him.
As soon as the girls spotted Elyon, they cried out for her. The princess froze and turned towards them.
"Leave... me... alone!" she cried.
"Elyon, please listen to us—" begged Cornelia.
"No! Cedric's told me all about you and this... rebellion!"
"Cedric?!" The girls gaped. All this time, the Seer's brother and Caleb's contact had been Cedric the Lizard Man? That bloodthirsty beast?
"I'm never going home," continued Elyon. "It wasn't even my home to begin with! You're all a bunch of liars!"
"Elyon—"
"Cornelia!" Caleb shouted. "Get back!"
Cornelia hadn't paid attention to the energy building around Elyon. It had been a faint, nevertheless ominous glow that eventually cracked in the form of a small but powerful bolt, knocking the earth guardian back three metres.
"Cornelia!" The other girls hurried to her side. She groaned and sat slowly with their help.
"Hurry, Your Highness—"
"Cedric! You bastard!"
Cedric tripped over his feet as he stopped at the sound of Caleb's fury. The rebel stood stiffly, teeth grinding, fists paling. After all that the slimy, filthy, abominable serpent had put him through... after he had engaged in the most intimate of acts with him and haunted his dreams... the bastard! The blackguard! He had the gall to do this—the treacherous, repulsive buggerer!
"You bastard," hissed Caleb, "how could you do this? After all that we've been through? After all that I gave you?"
Cedric's eyes were wide and cervine, like a wounded stag cornered by an archer. Caleb didn't pity him, though—not one bit. He would kill the bastard for this! Fie on the vow that he had made to Lady Rowenna! The disgusting, little wyrm deserved only the cold hatred of Caleb's knife across his neck. The damned shifter! He had told one too many lies and deceived Caleb one too many times.
Pushing Elyon further behind him, Cedric stepped forth and called, "I'm sorry, Caleb. But it must be this way."
Then a brilliant blue light surrounded his form, and he began to change.
