The Halves of Us

4. Adie

4AdieAdie’s Fate paper felt heavy in her dress pocket. As the last students completed the Room of Papers, Gossamer led Adie and the future Council members to the third floor, and Ms. Nevolie directed the remaining final-year students back to the Teaching Hall. Adie had searched the crowd for Aura, but couldn’t find her. Again. Her gaze fell to the floor as Michael walked by her side down the hallway. Her face scrunched in concentration.

“What’s bothering you?” Michael asked.

“How do you always know?”

He chuckled. “I’ve been your Guard since the day you were born. I know when something is bothering you.” He paused. “How was the Room of Papers?”

She shook her head. “I’d rather not talk about it.”

“You don’t have to. Is there something else bothering you?”

I’ve already touched the Rokis. I think I’m not the future Ruler. I’ve seen the Wicked Willow before, and the nightmares . . .

Adie thought about the folded paper in her dress pocket.

“If it’s the projection of Vadim that’s on your mind, you needn’t worry. All the final-year students are shown what darkness lurks in our world.”

She remembered the glowing red eyes of the Sight and Aura’s face in the hallway. She’d never seen her so scared. I wish I could comfort her like she does me.

“Adie, the Sights don’t speak.” He placed his hand on her shoulder. “Aura is resilient. She’ll be able to put her fear behind her.”

Those they passed in the hallway whispered as they walked by them. Most everyone knew where she was headed. “She’s going to touch the Rokis! Soon we’ll learn her gift!”

She tried to ignore their murmurs. They stopped, and Michael motioned toward a door on her right. Adie’s fingertips traced the carved lines cascading down the sides of the door frame, feeling the deep grooves.

The Council Room.

This was it. Her future Council members followed behind her as she headed to her first lesson with the Rokis. Her stomach churned, and she swallowed the bile rising in her throat. Adie’s hands trembled at her sides. What do I tell them when nothing happens?

The light flooded in through the windows and bounced off the ceiling. The memory of herself and Aura in the Holding Room years ago, dancing in the bright colored light from the stained-glass windows, replayed in her mind.

“I ask that you all take a seat on the long sides of the table. Adie will sit at the front right side for now. When she becomes Ruler, she will sit at the head of the table,” Gossamer said, and the students took their seats.

Adie had only glanced at the room a few times when she and Aura were younger and would sneak through the hidden tunnels of the Dome. Then, the walls were gray in the shadows, but in the light cast by their sun, Uni, they appeared golden.

“Ruler Ambrielle is finishing a meeting with the Sandman, the Council member from Bakete, and will join us shortly. In the meantime, Headmaster Tut shall greet you and discuss your Teachings this year.” Gossamer looked around the room as though he expected Tut to be behind him. “It seems he’s late per usual. Excuse me while I find him.”

As Gossamer left, a heavy silence fell about the room. Jikohg, the Ogre from Tanhera, blinked his singular eye furiously and fidgeted in his seat when Adie glanced at him. A lovely Fae girl smiled when her violet eyes met Adie’s. Long blue hair fell in waves down to her shoulders. A member of the Fales, the tree people, sat to her left. He folded his long arms across his chest and grunted as his eyes searched the room. Long strands of bark that covered his skin crunched as he leaned back in his chair. Dark green leaves sprouted from his head, pulling back into a wispy braid tied at the end with a thin vine.

Adie inhaled. You should say something. She exhaled. No, you probably shouldn’t.

A few of the students started whispering amongst themselves, and relief flooded her.

“Hi.” A kind smile appeared as a young man extended his palm toward her.

She met his hand with hers and nodded, looking into his brown eyes. “You were the guy with Aura in the hallway . . .” Adie’s voice trailed off. The one that was holding her hand.

He nodded while tucking a stray strand of his curly black hair behind his ear. “The name is Felipe.”

“Adie.” He probably already knows that.

His dark eyes eased her nerves.

“Thank you for helping Aura earlier. She . . . she . . .” Adie stopped. “She’s usually the strong one.” She repeated her thought from earlier, unsure what to say, and cleared her throat again. “So you’re on my Council?” She cringed. Of course he’s on your Council. He’s in the Council Room!

Felipe chuckled and nodded. “I’m from the Nitari region.”

Adie’s eyebrows rose, and she nodded, trying to hide her shock. We’ve never had representation from the Nitari region before! “You live in Nitari, by Vadim? But you’re not Etoyoc, you look like me. You’re Tontu.”

“My whole family is Tontu. But my mother and I live with the Etoyoc and keep their customs, live their simplistic lifestyles, and I think of myself as one of them.” He smirked. “And out of all the species in Thindoral, you would think you’d have more of an issue with the Fae and the Ogres cohabitating.” He chuckled as he pulled a white folded-up piece of paper from his shirt pocket.

They always told Adie the education level in Nitari wasn’t of the highest regard, yet here stood a shockingly well-educated Etoyoc, who was quite funny, too. She did need to make friends with her future Council. And Aura likes him. She glanced at his folded Fate paper. As he opened the paper, the hairs on her neck raised.

“Do you like what you see?” she asked.

Felipe looked at her and laughed, showing the dimples in his cheeks.

“On your paper . . .” Adie clarified as the Headmaster entered. She exchanged a slight grin with Felipe as they turned and faced Tut.

It was obvious he hadn’t looked in a mirror this morning after he dressed. His misbuttoned white shirt was haphazardly tucked into his baggy trousers, and a patch of silver hair stood up on the back of his head. Her mother always said what Tut lacked in appearance, he made up for in brilliance. Adie had always found that to be true.

“Silence, please.”

The room hushed and everyone looked forward.

“Welcome to a new Season of Teachings.” His words fell fast from his mouth, and his left hand twitched as he laid down boxes containing a few jars, trays, and papers on the table. He smiled out at the students, revealing teeth almost as yellow as his eyes. “Each of you has been pre-selected to represent your region on the future Council, and the Nitari region has provided representation for the first time in our history. No need in introducing yourself, I already memorized your names. I’m Headmaster Tutimier, but you may call me Tut, as I do not like formalities.” He glanced feverishly around the room with his beady eyes.

Tut had always been kind to her. Or rather, he didn’t seem to notice she hid away in his office from time to time when she wanted to be alone. When he did see her, he would insist she help him with one of his tamer experiments, like creating new fruit by crossing plant species or mixing Fae dust and Ogre mucus to create super fertilizer. He was a peculiar man, but one with imagination, and she appreciated that.

“This class will explore what your duties are to the Ruler, and what her responsibility is to you. We’ll also discuss the power of the Rokis as well as a few other mystical elements we have on our planet and how to use those to our advantage.” His voice grew deep. “You shall attend your first Requesting Ceremony in the coming days. This is done quarterly to mark the Season so the Ruler can use the Rokis to bring on the new weather, express any new laws, and handle any special requests from the Council members. Felipe,” Tut located him near Adie, “you will work with Polif, the future Council member from Ologpha, and their predecessor on understanding what’s expected of you since it’s the first year we have representation from Nitari. Everyone else, your predecessors will instruct you on how to dress, what to bring as a gift, and—”

He stopped as his eyes landed on the Fae girl. “My absolute favorite thing is Fae dust! Oh, the marvelous things you can do with it!” He cleared his throat as if to stifle his excitement but failed. He hurried to the front of the table, almost skipping.

Leaning forward, Adie caught her first glimpse of Polif. She had only seen a few Inhira before. They were a race created from when the Designers mated with Tontu, and the androgynous beauty of the Designers remained evident in them. Polif’s presence took her breath away. Their long white hair fell over iridescent skin, reminding her of a pearl her father brought back from his trip to Filreta. It was impossible to tell their gender, even when they spoke, and it was rude to ask.

Tut shuffled some papers. “Before we do an experiment, I need someone to answer this question correctly.” He gazed at the classroom with a side smirk. “The Rokis is a fascinating thing. Its ability to transport individuals and large groups and provide medical assistance is astounding. But its fantastical ability that brings us here today, is it provides each Ruler with a unique power. Telekinesis, invisibility, mind-reading, element control, and perfect memory are the most popular throughout history. Though smaller powers have been given that are just as helpful. Powers such as strength, speed, and heightened senses. This power is revealed to the Ruler the first time they touch the Rokis. Can someone tell us how the Ruler is chosen and why the Rokis is worn by the Ruler and the Ruler only?”

Felipe raised his hand, and Tut’s gaze shifted from Adie to him.

“Yes, Felipe.”

“The Rulers of Thindoral are predestined by Fate.”

“That is correct. The youngest born of the family line rules over Thindoral when the current Ruler retires, and the time for the retirement is chosen by the Rokis when the center gem goes dark. Only the Ruler wears it, because the pure power and goodness of the Rokis can only be used by the fated Rulers. In the wrong hands, the Rokis can be an evil weapon.” Tut smiled. “It’s nice to know the Etoyoc have chosen their representation wisely,” he said with a nod at Felipe. “Now for a treat! Come forward!” He motioned to Felipe.

Felipe smirked, looking to Adie. “I nominate Adie to come forward in my place.”

Adie narrowed her eyes at him, but his smile never wavered.

“Very well. I shall need Adie and Jilu to come forward,” Tut said.

Adie slowly stood from her seat. Her stomach twisted into knots as she felt the weight of everyone’s stare on her. She walked to the front of the room and faced Jilu, the Fae from the region of Flay.

“Adie, ask Jilu for some Fae dust.” Adie looked quizzically at Tut. “Go ahead, ask her.”

She gazed at Jilu. “May I have some Fae dust?” Her voice trembled as she spoke.

Jilu smiled, and her big indigo eyes met Adie’s. Her translucent skin held a faint green hue. Her dark blue wings fluttered in silence behind her. She held her hand out toward Adie as a bright golden light etched along her arm and produced a small glowing orb in her palm. She handed it to Adie, who carefully took it and returned a nervous grin. The orb floated effortlessly in Adie’s hand. Its golden light reflected into her emerald eyes.

Tut grabbed some papers from his desk and faced the classroom. Adie held her breath as she watched him wet the papers with a tray of water and bring them over to her.

“The most incredible thing about Fae dust,” he said, “is that when you receive it from a Fae in the proper way, you can then control its power and manipulate it.” He looked at Adie. “All you have to do is think of snow.”

She hesitated.

He nodded to reassure her. “Trust me.”

She turned toward the class and held out her hand as Tut hovered the stack of damp papers over the glowing golden orb. Her palm tingled as Tut let go of the papers. They slowly separated from each other and floated in the air to form a large sphere. The dust spun up from her hand and into the sphere, which then floated higher. The sphere grew larger, and the papers hardened as if frozen into ice.

“It’s beautiful,” Adie said, watching the orb turn a whitish blue as it froze over. For a moment, the nightmares and worries faded.

“Yes. It seems you’ve created an ice bubble.” Tut beamed. “Pop it.” A mischievous glimmer danced in his eyes.

She grinned and focused her thoughts on the hovering ice bubble which now floated over the Council Room.

Without making a sound, the ice bubble popped, showering intricate snowflakes around them. The students held out their hands, trying to catch them as they fell. Voke’s tongue flew from his mouth, catching what he could. Adie made her way into the center of the room, spinning as the cold snowflakes landed on her face.

“Enchanting,” he whispered as the corner of his lips curled into a smile.

The students returned to their seats as the snowflakes stopped falling. For a moment, Adie wished Aura were there to see what she’d done.

The doors to the Council Room opened, and Ruler Ambrielle entered with Gossamer trailing behind her. Her emerald chiffon dress gracefully trailed along the granite floor.

“Sorry to keep you waiting,” she said as she came to the front of the table.

All the students stood, but she motioned for them to sit.

“Urgent matters to the east kept me. I’m afraid the Sandman will not be joining us today, but he will meet you all at the Requesting Ceremony tomorrow.”

The air changed. A nervousness crept through room, and Adie was sure it wasn’t just her anymore.

“I know today has been different from other Teachings. Seeing into Vadim and visiting the Room of Papers can be frightening.” Ambrielle glanced at Adie before looking to the others. A sympathetic look stretched across her face. She strolled over alongside her and rested her hands on Adie’s shoulders. “I was once where my daughter stood. I, too, worried how I would ever lead a world I barely knew. A world that seemed to know so much about me.”

Her hand fell away from Adie and touched the Rokis. “The power you will be entrusted with is strong, but fear not. It will protect you. And with the help of my Council members, I am able to lead. And with help from you, Adie will too.”

She took off the Rokis and set it on the table in front of Adie. “The first part of today’s lesson is to see how Adie reacts to it and what unique power it bestows on her. This is something not everyone sees in their lifetime. You’re all a part of history.”

“What happened when you first touched it?” Adie asked, looking directly at her mother. The memory of the tall tree and the smoke cloud chasing her filled her mind. She shook her head. “Sorry, Ruler Ambrielle. I didn’t mean to interrupt.”

Gossamer looked over at Ambrielle, whose eyes were locked with Adie’s as she made her way to the chair at the head of the table and sat. “Please everyone, call me Ambrielle.” She cleared her throat. “When my father first had me touch the Rokis, it transported me.”

Adie looked down at the Rokis. Its blue center was barely lit. “Were you scared?”

A few students gasped.

I shouldn’t have asked her that!

“No,” her mother automatically replied. She paused, dropping her head. “Yes. Yes, I was frightened. I don’t know where it took me, but it showed me what I needed to see. It kept me safe.” She gestured toward the Rokis.

Adie placed her hands on the side of the pendant. Its blue light grew stronger and brighter. The twelve golden triangles surrounding the center gem reflected the light around the room, and Adie found her eyes entranced by the beauty of the Rokis.

“All you have to do is touch the center gem,” Ambrielle said.

Adie lifted her right hand and held it over the center, hovering just above the gem.

“Together?” She heard Aura’s voice as though she was right next to her.

She shook her head, closing her eyes to focus as she slowly dropped her hand. Please let something happen. Please.

When she felt nothing, she gradually opened her eyes. Her mother, Gossamer, and her Council members all looked at her. She glanced at the Rokis.

The center blue light had gone gray.

Adie lifted her hand, and her stomach dropped. “Is that supposed to happen? What does it mean?”

Ambrielle’s mouth drew into a tight line as she eyed Gossamer. He stood, the chair screeching on the floor beneath him. Their disappointment crushed her, as every fear she felt came to fruition. She tried to keep the tears in her eyes from falling down her cheeks. She reached down to move the Rokis across the table to her mother, when a shockwave swam through her body. She screamed as heat spiked through her arm, ripping through her skin.

Then there was only darkness.