She sighed, took a deep breath, then continued more slowly, “The Thiessens tried desperately to convince me otherwise – after all, Rob had actually been there and they had no reason to lie to me. I tried to accept it and I could see the worry lurking in their eyes and I didn’t want to be the cause of it, so I pushed it into the back of my mind and allowed myself only one day a year to follow what had become an obsession. So, every year, on the anniversary of my father’s death, I would go back to the rocky outcrop and I would climb it. And every year I would go hoping to find some answers – that I might finally understand. That’s what I was doing that day, the reason I was at the tree.”
Alex was watching her intently. He was close enough that she could see the golden starbursts exploding through the dark depths of his blue eyes.
“What?” She asked defensively, “That’s the truth – I’m sorry if it’s difficult to believe.”
He looked away and she almost felt lighter having escaped the ferocity of his searching gaze. “Elementals – besides being able to call on all four elements also often have an additional Gift. They generally manifest later in life or perhaps not at all. The form they take is also unpredictable, though in general, they have something to do with time or death. Perhaps yours is the ability to experience the past.” He shrugged carelessly, “I wouldn’t discount it.”
For the first time in a along time, she felt understood – not completely alone in her beliefs. It was ironic that it came from someone she barely knew. Their eyes met briefly and she realized – it was more than just understanding. He believed her because he had lived it.
Suddenly a question rose in front of her eyes and she was surprised she hadn’t thought of it earlier. “Was my father an Elemental – did he die here?”
He exhaled slowly, not meeting her eyes. “I can’t say with any certainty, but I don’t think he was an Elemental – if there were more Elementals, it’s likely the Gates would open more erratically, not only coinciding with full moons. But based on your story – it’s likely he was Gifted and more than likely Jamie is too. That’s probably why your father left the Baobab to Jamie, he would have wanted to protect the Gate, to ensure it went to someone who understood what it was.”
“No.” She scoffed, “Jamie would never keep that from me…”
She stared at Alex, almost begging him to confirm it for her.
“Never.” She repeated, trying to convince herself.
Alex glanced at her, his expression purposefully neutral. “I don’t know Jamie, so I can’t say what he might or might not have kept from you. But if you believe him – then that should be enough.”
Allyra nodded, still troubled, but unsure of what to say or do. Perhaps her whole life had been nothing more than layers of lies, coming together to land her here in this madness.
“You should go get some rest, I’ll keep watch here. The cave is a bit darker if you are struggling to sleep with the light.”
It was a gentle acknowledgement that he’d noticed how poorly she’d been sleeping. But it wasn’t the unending grey light that haunted her. It was her recurring nightmare. In the Between, it had become more real, demanding more of her attention.
Allyra shook her head, “I’m not tired yet. Why don’t you let me take a watch instead?”
He looked at her, concern evident on his face. “You should sleep – it’s dangerous not letting you mind rest…”
She interrupted him, “I know – but it seems pointless trying to force myself into it – in fact, I know that’s never worked for me. So why don’t you take the opportunity to give your mind a rest and I promise to call you when I’m tired.”
“It’s dangerous – Revenants…” he objected, but without his previous conviction.
“You said they don’t often venture here. I’m not proposing I go fight them off, but I’m perfectly capable of running and screaming if I see anything suspicious.”
He wavered.
Allyra smiled at him winningly. “I’m an excellent screamer…”
He relented, “Fine, but anything out of the ordinary…”
“I promise – though you might live to regret that. Pretty much everything here is out of the ordinary.”
“You keep watch and I’ll sleep, but I’ll stay up here and save you the trip down the hill to get me.”
“Fine.” She rolled her eyes behind his back as he lay down in the thick carpet of grass. He was treating her like a child – anyone watching would think she was a complete incompetent. Though to be fair – she hadn’t shown him any evidence to the contrary.
“We should start your training tomorrow.” He said suddenly, just as she believed him to be asleep.
“Excuse me?”
“Your training.”
“What training?”
“You’ll need to learn to defend yourself here in the Between. It’ll save me from having to come to your rescue.” Alex replied sardonically.
She nodded dumbly.
Why not?
Her world was entirely without logic anyway, why not learn to fight off Revenants with nothing more than a sword…
She kept watch diligently, even getting up and walking around to ensure she maintained a complete three sixty degree view. Minutes or hours – it was impossible to know how much time passed, as the grey light remained entirely unchanging.
She noticed that
