Chapter 10-2
1957 Words
Up ahead she saw Tenskwatawa standing alone and decided to join him, but did not wish to give away what she had seen last night. Hearing her behind him, he said, “Each day I wish that I were not in this body any longer. I miss my own.”
Renée knew not how to respond to that. “Can you not just go back to your own?”
“I would have by now if I could.” He rubbed his hands together to take a bit of the chill out from them. “But let’s not waste time thinking of what can’t be.” He turned his attention to Mrs. Radley playing with one of the young Shawnee children. “We need to go soon in case there are more American troops in the area. We could be sought after.”
Renée rubbed her arms to warm herself. “Yes, we should.”
Tenskwatawa coughed nervously and then ran his fingers through his thick hair. “About last night.”
“Might we not just pretend that we are simply agreeing to stay civil to each other?” Renée started to walk away.
“Please, wait.” Tenskwatawa tried to reach out to Renée but she pulled away. “I want to apologize for how I acted toward you last night.”
“Your words are not tender that I wish to have right now. Unless you tell me the truth, there is nothing I want to hear from you.”
“If I tell you the truth, Cinderella, you, and Phoebe will suffer more and I do not wish for that to happen. But I can tell you about your family.”
Renée turned back and waited.
“I have done much wrong in my life and regret much of what I have done. But I have not harmed your family.”
“I saw you that day. I know it was you.”
“Did you see me actually do these horrible acts you accuse me of?”
Renée reached out and punched Tenskwatawa in the chest. “I do not wish to take much more of your lies. I am tired of you and wish I could send you away.” She held back tears. “You were there. I saw you right before you vanished.”
“Am I not in someone else’s body right now?” Tenskwatawa held up his arms. “Look at me. Look at who I am now, but am I the physical person or the mind controlling this body? If I have this power, is it not possible that I was not in my body when your family was tortured and killed?”
Renée could not hold back her tears. “You are full of lies and are a deceitful person. I think you simply long to injure all those around you to make you feel good.”
“I tell you that it was not me.”
“Then who was it?”
“I cannot say.”
“How do you expect me to believe you?” Renée did not wait for an answer and started to walk away.
Tenskwatawa had reached down and picked up a stick. “I cannot tell you who the person is, but I can show you. Come closer.”
Renée came back and stood beside him.
“You must promise me that you will not speak the name. There is grave magic in the spoken name. It is how I lost all that I was.” Tenskwatawa stopped talking and squatted down. He cleared away the brush, flattened out the dirt, and then began scratching a name in the dirt. He worked with precision and deft skill.
When he finished, he stepped back and looked up at her. “Do you now understand?”
Renée reached down and touched the letters in the dirt. She touched each letter with her hand and read the name again and again. “N-A-P-O-L-E-O-N.” She remained quiet for a few moments and then scattered the dirt, erasing the name. “Do you tell the truth?”
“Use your magic on me to see if I lie.”
“I already have but I wanted to hear you say the words.” Renée brushed back her hair from her eyes and pulled it back into a long ponytail. “I have so many questions.”
“As do I, but I must be careful of what I say.” Tenskwatawa tossed the stick away and stood up. “I will tell you more when it’s safe to do so. Too much too soon draws attention to what I know and will put us all in danger. Do you understand?”
“We have much to discuss then as we head back east. And this changes a great many things.”
“I have much to share with you, but no more today. I warn you to guard your thoughts and never mention the name or you will give us all away.”
Renée thought a moment and then said, “I still think you try to trick me somehow.” She turned away and said, “I am going to go help Mrs. Radley prepare breakfast. I have much to think about. Busying myself with work will help me clear my mind.”
Tenskwatawa watched Renée walk away. “I wouldn’t trust me either if I were you. But think on this—do you not believe I would have tried to escape by now?”
Renée turned back. “Like I have said, I think you like tricking people and get into their heads, causing them to doubt and be confused.”
“But what if I tell the truth?” Tenskwatawa asked.
“That is what frightens me and think on that I must.” Renée left him and then walked away, waving to Mrs. Radley. Now she knew the name of the true enemy, and if it were true, she would not stop until he was defeated.
***
I woke up startled and sat up in bed. I had vague memories of a nightmare that I could not clear from my mind. Getting out of bed, I heard a noise coming from down the hall. I gathered a robe and then headed out to the hallway, waiting for my eyes to adjust to the dark. The light from the moon did not shine as bright here. Again, I heard the noise and froze, listening. Softly at first and then with great distinction I heard someone call my name. The voice was weak and sounded battered. I walked faster and could see, at the far end of the hall, a shape moving in the dark. I stood still and a wave of fear washed over me. I realized that I had no weapon and not my full strength back.
But I did have one bit of defense. I raised my left arm and willed my magic to shine forth and it did, from my left hand in a soft blue light. The power within me still had not fully returned, but it would do. The figure slowed, bent over, and was still unrecognizable. And then again, I heard my name. I remained firm and focused on strengthening the light from my hand. The figure came within reach and then it stopped.
“Come with me.” Its voice scratchy and throaty.
“Who are you?” I moved closer and still could not make out who it was in the shadows.
“Challenge me and I will have your daughter.” The creature coughed and gurgled and I could hear the thick mucus clear from its throat. “You will not be warned again. Stay away.”
“Leave us alone and be gone!” I rushed forward to shine my light right into the creature’s face.
With a hiss, it sprung at me and I tried to deflect its momentum but its strength was too great. I fell back into the wall and tried to push it off of me.
Breathing heavy on my neck, the creature whispered in my ear. “Hinder me and I will carry out my threat. Phoebe will be mine.”
“No!” I shouted at it and pushed hard, knocking the creature off of me.
It growled and then lunged at my legs, knocking me down. I fell hard and tried to struggle with it, but its ferocity frightened me. I pushed away and then scratched at its eye, focusing my strength in my arm. Tired and still weak, my power grew, but would it be enough? I focused my thoughts, let them flow over me in white warmth and my left hand glowed strong and bright. I regained my strength and held my arm out, shining the light on the creature and I saw, with grave concern, the shape alter itself into that of the king.
He lurched at me and knocked me aside with ease and my arm banged against the wall. A jolt of pain shot through me and I saw his face before my light dampened. His crazed eyes and the drool that dripped off his chin frightened me. And then his weight fell against me and I cried out for help. He tried biting at my face, but I pushed and kicked at him. I tried to roll him over, push him off of me, but his weight, like a loadstone, held me firm to the ground and my magic waned as though he drank the energy from me.
“Get you I will. Or your daughter. I will have you both. Both of you will be mine.” His voice foreign and strangely unfamiliar.
I cried out again for help and heard a door open far away and heard running footsteps but I did not know if they would get to me in time. The king had placed his hands around my neck and had begun to squeeze. His strength had become formidable and, try as I might, I could not release his hands. I could not breathe and saw yellowish spots forming in front of me in the dark and knew that I could not last much longer. Deep inside of me, the energy flowed but it came out of me and directly into him. Not knowing what else to do, I hid my magic from him and shut it off, covering my light and heart, locking it away. In an instant, I heard him gasp in surprise and his hands weakened around my throat. I cried out again and then poked at his left eye and he let go of me.
Then I heard someone on us, pulling at him from behind, grabbing him off of me until he fell back against the hallway in a slump. I coughed and rolled onto my side and took a few deep breaths and then coughed again.
“Are you okay?” Henri’s voice surprised me.
I could barely make his face out in the moonlight. “I do not know.” I put my hands around my neck and knew that I would have bruises from the attack.
More footsteps could be heard coming from down the hall. Servants or guards, I could not tell. The king was dragged away and I suspect locked back up in his room and Henri offered me his hand.
“Let me take you back to your room.”
I accepted his offer. “Thank you.”
He put his arm around me and I limped back to my room with him helping me. My left side felt bruised and battered from the attack. Henri brought me to my bed and I sat down and then leaned back against the pillows.
“Would you like for me to stay with you for a little while? I can have one of the attendants get you a drink to help soothe you.” He sat in the chair by my bed and I took him all in. Dressed in his nightclothes, I watched him with great interest.
“No, I will be fine. Thank you. I suspect Clarissa is wondering where you are and if you are in danger. Please, go back to her.”
He laughed. “She is such a sound sleeper that when I tell her in the morning what happened she will tell me that she heard naught.” He stretched back and said, “I would rather talk with you and hear of your great adventures.”
“But Clarissa …”
“She will not miss me if I am not by her side for a few hours. Trust me that all will be well.”
- Writer
