“Indeed. Through this door,” Luno said, pointing to the solid wall in front of him.
Luno could tell by James’s confused look that something wasn’t right. He walked slowly toward James, never taking his eyes from the boy’s face.
“You can’t see it can you?”
“See what?” James asked.
“There is a doorway on the opposite wall. Framed in gold is the most magnificent mahogany door I’ve ever seen.”
James looked again where Luno was pointing but saw only the solid grey wall.
“I see nothing,” James replied.
“Fascinating,” Luno said to himself. He paced the room in deep thought. After several moments of silence he turned to James. “I must go on alone. Go back to the beach and wait for me. I shall not be long.”
“What is so important in there?” James asked.
“You will see, my boy. Patience.”
With that, Luno turned and disappeared into the wall. James walked over and pressed his hand at the spot where Luno had vanished and felt only cold, hard stone. Disenchanted, he made his way back to the beach alone.
James paced along the back wall of the cave where sand met black granite. He couldn’t get the thought of his father out of his mind. While he was in that room, he truly believed his father had come back to him. For a short moment, all the anger and resentment he had held melted away, and for the first time since his death, he had felt unburdened. The instant his father disappeared and he realized it was a trick of the island, everything came rushing back.
James passed the strange glyphs carved into the wall, thinking they had an odd familiarity about them. Thoughts about what he had just witnessed quickly pushed the glyphs from his mind. It hadn’t been his real father telling him to let go; it was a creation of the island. Part of James needed the guilt he’d held onto for so long. It made him feel… human. It helped keep him grounded. He could also reach deep inside himself and uncover that guilt if he needed. Some of the magic he had mastered in the past several years required that he delve deep into the ancient emotions of hurt and pain.
The incantations that required such an emotional foundation were usually a combination of dark and contemporary spells, which he mastered quite easily. He had mastered everything he had been taught. And yet, here in The Never, he only knew three magic words.
And then it struck him like a bolt of lightning. Could it be that simple? The island was trying to tell him what he needed. He needed to let go. He needed to accept the past for what it was and move on. James needed to relieve himself of emotions that burdened his spirit in order to understand the language of this land. He believed it, but was uncertain how to do it-or even if he could.
A noise brought him back from his contemplative state. He turned and saw Luno lying prone in the sand just in front of the doorway. James rushed to his side and rolled him over. Luno was staring off into space. James called his name, but he did not respond. James put his ear to Luno’s mouth and could feel his warm breath against it. James shook him and shouted his name once more. Luno did not respond.
James lifted Luno’s head and slid his arm behind his neck. As he reached for his legs, James realized Luno was clutching a wooden box in his hands. The box was the width of James’s extended hands. It had a black metal latch in the center that was secured by an ornate sliver lock. James laid Luno’s head gently back on the sand and pulled, but Luno’s hands did not release the box. He pulled harder to no avail.
Not wanting to waste any more time, James scooped up Luno’s body and hurried down the sandy rise to the boat. He set Luno in the bottom of the small boat. James quickly removed his cloak and tucked it behind Luno’s head. He looked again into Luno’s eyes. They continued to stare unblinking into space. He shouted his name once more. Nothing. James pushed the boat into the water and carefully boarded, trying not to step on his friend.
Relieved that the waters were lake-calm, James steadily rowed through the cave entrance and toward the pier behind him.
As he came within shouting distance of the pier, James yelled for Kilani. Several people who were watching the small boat draw near began to shout over their shoulders. James knew he couldn’t lift Luno up the ladder onto the pier and so decided to row to the shore. The onlookers moved down the pier as the boat passed. By the time James reached the beach, a crowd had gathered. Many hands pulled the bow of the small boat up onto the beach. James looked back for Kilani, and he was relieved when he saw her running through the crowd toward the boat.
James again scooped Luno up in his arms. He handed him to Kilani and two other men. James recognized Roger and William. Both men wore concerned expressions. He hopped out of the boat and took Luno back from the helpers.
“His house,” Kilani said, knowing what James was going to ask before he asked it.
William and Roger cleared the crowd in front of them as James and Kilani quickly moved up the beach and onto the pier. James heard the crowd shout as he passed: “What happened to Luno?” “What is he holding?” “Is he dead?” “Is he going to be okay?” William had the door to the house open before they got there. James stepped inside with Luno. Kilani was just behind. She looked at William and Roger, who stood at the doorway.
“Nobody gets in,” Kilani said to the men. Both nodded. Kilani turned as Roger closed the door, and the men took up positions on either side.
James laid Luno on the cot and took a step back. Kilani quickly stepped forward and kneeled beside him. James could see the emotions she’d been holding back begin to come through her typically unreadable face. Her eyes welled up with tears and a few made their way down her smooth, tanned skin toward her full red lips. She sniffled as she whispered into his ear.
She turned to James. Luno was very good at getting himself into trouble. Kilani knew this and held no blame in her expression as she asked what happened. James briefly told her about the cave. She looked at the wooden box still stuck in Luno’s grasp. She pulled at the box, but it held fast. She stood quickly, closed her eyes, and said, “ Voriko.”
The box shook slightly as if trying to come free then was motionless once more. James then stood over Luno, extended his hand and repeated the word, “ Voriko.” The sliver lock moved upward where it paused for a moment before falling limp. As it fell, a loud click sounded from inside the lock.
James and Kilani glanced at each other, and he stooped and pulled at the lock. It slid off effortlessly.
“Should I open it?” James asked.
Without a word, Kilani reached down and lifted the wooden lid. A small black key lay on a bed of purple satin. Kilani lifted the key before James could give warning. Luno’s hands immediately went limp, spilling the wooden box onto the floor. Luno sat bolt upright with a scream. He looked around for a moment then fell back to the cot unconscious.
Kilani quickly set the key on the table and bent over Luno. As she tended to him, James’s attention was drawn to the key. It was such a small insignificant thing, yet he couldn’t help but move closer to it. He felt a connection to it. His need for it increased with every step until he reached for it. The moment the cool black steel touched his skin, an image of the black castle flashed through his mind. The desire to reach the castle came flooding back as he held the key tightly in his hand.
Beside him on the cot, Luno began rubbing his eyes. With Kilani’s help, he slowly sat up. The moment Luno regained focus, he began looking around franticly.
“Where is it?” he demanded. Before James could respond, Luno’s eyes found the box lying on the floor, its lid open. The purple satin fanned out like sand from a broken hourglass.
“The key! Where is the key?” Luno asked.
James didn’t want to share the key with anyone. He squeezed it tighter in his hand, hoping Kilani would forget he’d ever picked it up.
“James,” said Kilani, “where is the key?”
Reluctantly, James opened his hand, revealing the black key.
“Thank goodness,” said Luno relaxing his shoulders. He stood and stretched as if waking from a long sleep. James had to fight the urge to snap his hand shut as Luno moved closer to inspect the key.
“Of course,” he said, excitedly. “How could I have been so foolish?”
After a moment of introspection, Luno looked up.
