His brother, his only brother. It was his own fault. He’d been too stupid to see Calico’s plan. He’d sent James on this damn quest, sent him to do what he’d been too weak to do on his own. And now he’d come too late. Too late to save him. Just like their father.
But he had to try. For his mother’s sake, he had to try.
“Go find Auri,” he said to Rocky, his voice hoarse. “Quickly.”
“Derek, I don’t think—” Katie began, putting a hand on his shoulder.
“Do it!” Derek shouted. Rocky met his eye and nodded. He jogged off.
Derek wiped the grime from James’s forehead. “I’m sorry,” he whispered to his brother. I’m sorry for not protecting you.
“What is that?” Katie said, pointing toward James’s arm, the one bent the wrong way. Derek cringed at the sight of the badly broken arm, and his gaze fell to James’s hand. The fingers were loose, and within them rested a small orb about the size of an apple.
It was completely clear, like glass, and entirely unremarkable.
Chapter 41
Nothing.
That was all there was—just vast, eternal nothing.
Until there wasn’t.
James found himself walking down a jungle path.
The air was warm but not stifling. The trees were lush around him, their thick branches reaching over the path and forming a natural tunnel. Colorful flowers bloomed on them—pink, yellow, orange. In the distance, he heard the cries of animals: birds cawing, bugs chirping, maybe even monkeys screeching. The jungle felt alive around him.
He made his way along the path, stepping over plants and stones. He looked down and was surprised to see he was barefoot. Oddly, he never felt the stones or the twigs digging into his feet. It was as though he were floating, as light as air. In fact, he felt light, his whole body loose, pain-free. He found himself smiling serenely.
Where he was going, he didn’t know. But he knew he should keep walking.
A voice rang out through the jungle, cutting through the noises around him. It was slow, deep, powerful.
They that have power to hurt and will do none,
That do not do the thing they most do show,
Who, moving others, are themselves as stone,
Unmoved, cold, and to temptation slow,
They rightly do inherit heaven’s graces.
James walked toward the voice. He pushed through a low-hanging branch and emerged into a small clearing overlooking a pond. A sheer cliff lined the opposite end. A waterfall poured off it in two streams, sending puffs of mist into the air that sparkled in the beaming sunlight.
Near the edge of the pond, an old man sat cross-legged on a large boulder, a small, golden peach in his hand. Another rock, like a chair, rested next to him.
James went forward and sat next to Takarta.
They sat there for some time, in complete silence. James took in the clearing, appreciating the beauty of the place. It felt ancient, timeless, perfect. He didn’t want to pollute it by speaking.
Finally, Takarta said, “You did well.”
James looked at the man and nodded, finally saying what was on his mind. “Am I dead?”
Takarta smiled, showing those missing teeth. “This would be quite a fine place for it, would it not?”
James didn’t respond.
“No, you are not dead. Not yet, at least,” Takarta said.
“Then where are we?”
“Elsewhere.”
James nodded as if that was satisfactory. He had so many questions, but he didn’t want to press too deeply. He was silent for a time, trying to organize his thoughts. For some reason, he felt he couldn’t waste words, not here.
“Who are you?” he finally said.
“Takarta,” Takarta said.
“Who are you, really?”
Takarta smiled again. “I am nobody important. Simply a protector.”
James fell silent again, thinking over what he wanted to ask. “What happened to the stone?”
“It has been destroyed,” Takarta said. “Thanks to you.”
“But... how?”
Takarta peered at James through his thick eyebrows. “I thought you could figure that out on your own.”
“I can, but tell me anyway.”
Takarta laughed. It was a bright sound, melodic. “You denied the stone of its purpose. You did something very few men in our long history could do. And it destroyed itself because of it.”
James thought about that. “I refused its power.”
Takarta nodded.
“But... isn’t the stone’s power good if wielded by a good person?” James said.
“Are you a good person?”
“I...” James trailed off. He’d never really considered the question. “I guess I don’t know. Who’s judging?”
Takarta laughed again and clapped his hands, a sound that made James jump in the serene silence of the clearing.
“You are clever beyond your years, young one,” Takarta said. “Do you see now?”
“I guess...” James said. “It’s the choice, isn’t it?”
“Correct. The man who can deny the allure of power is the most powerful of all, for he is free.”
James stared at the waterfall, mesmerized by its constant current. So much water, endlessly pouring. It felt ancient. It had been pouring long before he was born, and it’d continue pouring long after he died. It made him feel small.
“Am I free?” James said.
“You are,” Takarta said. “Your choices are your own. You are here because of you.”
For some reason, James felt slightly sick. When he asked the next question, he already knew the answer. “Is it over, then?”
Takarta’s smile vanished. He suddenly looked tired, the lines on his face deep, the circles under his eyes dark.
“No.”
As he said it, thunder rumbled overhead, making James jump. Dark clouds gathered above the trees. That seemed wrong. It wasn’t supposed to rain, not here. The sky darkened, and the air grew still. The jungle around them fell silent, as if all the lively animals were holding their breath.
“There will be more battles to come,” Takarta said, his eyes boring into James. “It will be difficult. Just remember who you are, James Bolt.”
James could hear the rain coming, a downpour speeding over the jungle toward them. Lightning flicked overhead, followed by thunder. The rain would hit them in a minute,
