Destiny Scorns

CHAPTER SEVEN

 

  Wendy was surprisingly quiet the following morning. She had her breakfast in complete silence. Her mood was reflected on everyone who was in the kitchen. Only the cluttering of the utensils was heard. There was not even any coughing. Greta who was the closest person to her thought better than to say anything about it but she watched her keenly and noticed the way her head jerked up suddenly and she frowned. Her eyes seemed to change hue as they darkened and narrowed.

  She looked back down at her cup as if waiting for something to happen next. After almost five minutes Victor entered the kitchen which was the first time for him. He came in inquisitively. `I thought you'd be done with breakfast by now!' `Why?' she asked curtly.

  `Because I still have to train you, did you forget that?'

  `No, I didn't forget,' she said then paused. She turned slowly in her seat and looked at him, `I'm not going to train today.' `What?' He was shocked.

  `I said I'm not going to train today and in fact,' she stood up and approached him, `I don't think that I'm going to train ever again.'

  `That wasn't the deal...'

  `I'm making a new deal,' she smiled slightly and it made Greta shudder at the coldness of the smile. `I want to know what it is that you wish to achieve by training me. Why can't my father train me?'

  `Because he's your father, that's why. He has an emotional attachment to you.'

  `And you?' she chuckled at how she was clever enough to trap Victor. He pursed his lips. `I would have thought the kiss last night would have qualified as an emotional attachment.' Victor didn't answer. `I think I should go and talk to my father about that.'

  `Why would you do that?' he asked raising his eyebrow questioningly.

  `Because I want to know how he's going to react to this.'

  Instead of being scared, Victor surprised everyone by smiling slyly, he asked, `What do you want?'

  `I want you to help me.'

  `I'm already doing that. Be more specific about what you want!'

  `I want my full powers!'

  `Your father has the key to that.'

  `But you can get it for me,' her eyes narrowed at him.

  Victor studied her then said, `How about we do this,' he paused for a moment as the tension mounted. `You will keep what happened yesterday between the two of us.'

  `And why should I do that?'

  `There are many reasons to do that: first is that, you would be embarrassing yourself in front of your father not to mention me. Secondly, there is nothing that he will do if I promise to keep a distance between the two of us because he needs me to help you. Thirdly, you want me to help you master your powers or you will die when you access them. And finally,' he gave her an evil smile, `I might as well avoid all this and just wipe out your memory of this conversation and what happened yesterday and what happened at my house.'

  `You wouldn't!' her eyes were wide filled with shock.

  `That's how you give a threat,' his voice was as hard as steel. Wendy's eyes welled up and she passed by him before she started crying. She went upstairs. Victor didn't try to stop her. He turned to Greta, `Could you go find out if she wants to ride the horses?' `What horses?' she asked.

  `They are coming in at the moment.' He then turned and left the kitchen. After almost fifteen minutes, Wendy came through the back door and into the field. Victor handed her a chestnut horse as he took a white one. There was a third black one but it was being walked around. She mounted hers without any difficulty. The horses here were smaller than back home. She watched as he mounted his own. They trotted around the field first then went into a gallop.

  `Have you gotten used to it yet?' he asked.

  `Yes.'

  `Let's see how well you can maneuver it,' he said then kicked his horse and it started to run. She did likewise and they were racing towards the forest. Victor as usual was leading and she found that she was dragging behind. Eventually she lost sight of Victor and she brought her horse to a stop.

  She petted it until Victor came back to view and then trotted around her. `You are dragging behind.' `I know.' she said not looking at him.

  `Okay, I'm waiting.'

  `For what?'

  `For you to tell me what is bothering you?'

  Wendy turned to look at him as if he had lost his mind. `I can't talk to you about what is bothering me!'

  `Talk to your father then.'

  Wendy looked at the trees for a while. `I didn’t realize that I was alone here, until now.'

  `You have me, you have your father.'

  `Precisely! I have you who has threatened to wipe out my memory and my father whom I don't know anything about.'

  `I can't whip out your memory. I lied about that.'

  She tilted her head to the side, `Still doesn't make a difference.' `You could chat with your spirits!' he suggested helpfully.

  `They are versions of myself. Talking to them is practically talking to myself.'

  Victor moved the horse next to hers. She looked at him expectantly. `I was going to wait until you decided to conquer the world but I think you need this now,' he said in a gentle voice. He removed something from his pocket and handed it to her. She looked at the necklace. It looked like the chandeliers in the residence but it was smaller. It was unlike anything that she had ever seen. `It belonged to your mother.'

  `Diane.'

  `The one and only.' he took it from her hand and put it on her neck. He tied it at the back of her neck. She was immediately taken on a trance. He dismounted and then went and lifted Wendy off her own horse. He laid her on the ground and went to tie up the horses. He came back then started to have his own form of meditation.

  As dusk was approaching, the forest became darker. Victor thought of waking her up and start heading back to the residence. He had not found a better way of waking her up. If he had known that she was going to fall into a trance the minute he put the necklace around her neck, he would have waited until they were at the house.

  He couldn't imagine kissing her without the scene from the previous night coming back vividly. The unfortunate thing of being a wizard was that the memory was a powerful thing. One could remember every sensation precisely how they took place. Her hot lips, wet tongue, tight grip and smooth skin. His heart started beating faster.

  He shook his head to forget the memory. He couldn't bear to kiss her again. He took her hand in his and called her. `Wendy, wake up.' she turned as if she was waking up but the pull wasn't strong enough. He leaned toward her and his lips touched hers. His thumb caressed her cheek as it slid down to her ear. His tongue pushed past her closed lips and opened her mouth to his. She started responding slowly though it was. Her arms went round his body and pulled him towards her hard.

  He found himself lying on top of her though he did not want to pull back. The kiss got more passionate and deeper. He then took his lips from hers and continued to kiss her neck. She opened her eyes wide in shock. She realized she didn't want this. She didn't want to be kissed when she did not know. She did not want to wake up with her mouth in someone else’s mouth. She did not want to be always hiding from her father. And more so, she did not want to feel so unsatisfied like she felt the previous night.

  She pushed Victor back. He looked curiously at her but did not force himself on her. He stood up and helped her up. She was staring at him curiously. For some strange reason she couldn't really tell what he was feeling. Not even now that she had stopped him when his emotions were running high.

  She bit her lip before she asked, `Do you mind asking Mr. Clay if there is another way of waking me up from the trance?' `Sure.'

  They rode back to the residence which they got to when it completely became dark. She let Victor take the horses to the temporary stable that had been put up while a more permanent one was being built while she went to shower.

  After an hour or so, she came down and was asked by Charles to join
Mr. Clay and Victor in the study where they had been since the beginning of the evening. As she walked into the room, she could feel the tension in the room. She went to sit in between the two and watched her father quietly.

  He began, `Some things have come to my attention since the beginning of the evening and it is my duty to act on it.' He leaned forward and looked closely at Wendy and something told the latter that he was trying to look into her soul. `Due to misinformation, Victor has been taking you out of the trance by kissing you.' He paused as if waiting for an answer. When he didn't get one he asked, `Is this true?'

  `Yes,' she answered flatly.

  `And due to this kissing, he has sort of developed feelings for you?'

  `I'm I supposed to answer that or are you informing me on this or maybe it were a rhetorical question.' Her eyes didn't betray her but she was curious to know if it was indeed true that Victor had developed feelings for her.

  Henry stared at her for awhile. `Forget about that. The bottom line is that Victor has crossed the line and therefore can't take you through the second part of the training which is the most crucial one. And as you have already been informed, I cannot train you.'

  `I don't understand that.'

  `What?'

  `That you can't train me.'

  `Well,' he looked at Victor before answering. `I can't train you because I have easy access to your powers and that will not lead to your maximum potential let alone it would be fatal if I lost control of that access.'

  `Okay,' she thought for a moment, `but why can't Victor still train me?'

  `Because he is bound to be lenient at times and a little unreasonable at other times. Now back to the problem, you still need to finish your training...'

  `But what if I don't want to finish this training.'

  `The training is for your own good, Wendy. It is not only that you may decide to go back and lead your empire but so that you survive in this world. We did not tell you some things but we intended to.'

  `Things such as?'

  `Such as the fact that for one to survive where there are several wizards one need to be alert and strong in order not to be killed.' He leaned back to the chair. `You will therefore have to go to Madison's Island...'

  `What?' Victor sprang up from his chair.

  Henry ignored him and continued, `You will go as soon as tomorrow in order for you to be there in two days.'

  `You can't be serious!' Victor exclaimed.

  `You will be there to be trained by the best teacher I know of.'

  `She will be killed when her training is done!'

  Wendy turned in shock to her father. He looked grim, `Not if she kills Madison first.' `Nobody has ever lived after finishing their training with her!'

  `You did.'

  `I did not finish my training.'

  There was a long stretch of silence. `You will have to inform Wendy on everything that she will need to know about Madison and the island. The other students and any other thing that she will need to know.' Henry stood up and looked questioningly at Victor but he didn't say anything else. He left the two of them alone.

  `Should I be worried about going to Madison's island?' Wendy was curious.

  `No, it's a great place.'

  `So I need not to be worried that my teacher is going to want to kill me?'

  `No need to worry about that now. She kills only after the training is done and thus takes ones powers when they have been fully cultivated. She doesn't like the stress of thinking that one’s spirit could possibly do more.'

  `What else do I need to know?'

  Victor looked seriously at her. `No one has ever come close to killing her other than me but, you are an exception in so many things and that may be why your father thinks you will survive. You are very powerful and I have seen that first hand. Unfortunately, Madison did not survive this long because she is ignorant. From the minute that she will see you she will know who you are and that is good because she will favor you. And if she favors you, she will lower her guard when it comes to you.

  Do not forget though that she will eventually build it up again and therefore you will need to know more about her within the first few weeks or months or whatever time it will take. Also you will have to keep details that she can use to destroy you a secret.'

  `Details like what?'

  `Like who you love, who you hate, what you would give the world to have and more so the simplest of fears such as hydrophobia, claustrophobia, xenophobia and the rest. But note that if she notices that you keep so much secrets she will become suspicious of you. So, you have to give her something.'

  `She remembers who you are, doesn't she?'

  `Yes.'

  `So, she will probably know that you had this talk with me.'

  `I suppose,' he said thoughtfully, `I don't know what you can do about that!' `But I know,' she said with a little bit of a smile.

  Victor raised his eyebrow questioningly but did not press. It was better if he did not know what she was going to do in case Madison came after him. He continued, `When you get to the island you will have to pass a challenge course and then you will have a one on one interview with Madison herself.'

  `Who's going to take me there?'

  `Your father but don't worry, he has known Madison for so long.'

  `Is that supposed to reassure me?'

  `No, I was not trying to reassure you. Your father and Madison have known each other for a long time and when you know someone for as long as they have,' he paused for effect, `You become neither enemies nor friends, just mutual acquaintances. They don't do anything unless they are sure that whatever it is, is worth more than just respect for the other.'

  `So, Madison is about Henry's age?'

  `No, she will look younger but she is much older than any other wizard I know of.'

  `How old is she then?'

  `Almost two thousand years old.' `T- two thousand?' she stammered.

  `Yes.'

  `How is that possible?'

  `When she kills, she not only takes away your powers but your youth in order to sustain her life,' he paused as if something got in his mind for the first time. `Do you know how old I am?' `No,' her voice was barely audible.

  `What about your father?' She shook her head. `Wendy, I'm two hundred and fifty years old.' She almost collapsed. `And your father is over six hundred years old.'

  `I- I- don't believe that.'

  `Wendy, wizards live for hundreds of years before they die. That is if it is from a natural death.'

  Wendy was mortified. `You are two hundred...'

  `And fifty years old? Yes. How come you didn't know that?'

  `Know what? You didn't tell me!'

  `Okay, fine, I should have told you earlier. Now back to pressing matters...'

  `Pressing matters? I think knowing that you are over two hundred years old is a pressing matter.'

  `Wendy, if you keep at this age thing then I will not tell you all that you need to know in order to survive Madison's lessons.'

  `I don't care about Madison's lessons. I kissed you and you are...so old.' Victor smiled at that. The former stood up in disbelief. `You think that it is funny?'

  `Yes, I think that it is funny because I do look young, don't I?' he smiled wickedly before he continued, `Madison teaches like I do. You will have to do most of the work yourself. There will be other students there but they will be more advanced than you so you will need to choose your sparring partner well. The competitions will be held weekly to see how one is progressing. After the competitions, if you are not hurt, you will be given an opportunity to go into the main land to do some shopping or look around. Meet up with friends or do other personal things. Do you have any other questions?'

  `You should have told me...'

  `Besides my age.'

  `No, I don't have any other questions.'

  `Okay then,' he sto
od up. `Good luck on your training and good night.' He left her there still musing over his age. He knew he should have told her that technically he was just about his twenties but he didn't. He wanted her to be mad at him and if that happened then he wouldn't feel so guilty of letting her go to Madison's island. He wanted his conscience to think that she probably deserved it. And besides, he didn't want to be held back in explanations when he was supposed to be heading to the alternate universe to see Gorham and access what was happening on the other side. He had his orders and there was no time to delay.

  *

  Wendy was helped out of the boat by her father. He still hadn't mentioned the issue about him being her biological father but he seemed to have an incline that she already knew that and thus there was no need to be uttering it in words. She hadn't seen Victor after that night two days ago and she seemed sad as she did not know when she would see him again. She had gathered enough courage to ask her father where he was but he was quite vague with the answer.

  She straightened her clothes as she stepped onto the wooden dock. She hadn't noticed the woman who was waiting at the dock. She was wearing a long maroon gown and she was slender. Wendy was somehow reminded of Diane and wondered how it would have been like if she grew up with her real mother. She watched her father hug Madison and how familiar things were between them.

  Madison was very comfortable in his arms and acted quite fondly with him. She was a beauty according to Wendy who was watching a few steps back. She had thick black hair and they were curled. Her eyebrows were also thick and black while her skin was a pure cream. She had thin lips and didn't seem to be a person who smiled a lot but everything else about her seemed to shadow that fact. Her body was well curved despite her being slender and she was tall, almost Henry's height. She also seemed to be Wendy's age but when she looked at her, her eyes could tell one that she had seen everything that anyone could ever see.

  Wendy moved forward and held out her hand to Madison. `I'm Wendy.' she introduced herself.

  Madison stared at the hand suspiciously before she took it. She closed her eyes for a moment then opened her eyes. She smiled, `I'm Madison.' She turned to Henry. `It seems you have been hiding something from me.'

  `Now you know.'

  Madison nodded as if she had been asked a question. `Tell me,' she looked at Wendy briefly then back to Henry, `who is her mother?'

  Henry smiled slightly, `The late Queen Diane.'

  Madison's eyes went wide with shock. `Wow!' she chuckled. `I didn't think there was anything else that could ever surprise me.' A long pause. `How did you get her to sleep with you?' `I don't think we should talk about that now,' he said.

  `Of course, the daughter is right here.' Madison went to Wendy. She walked around the latter inspecting her then came back to talk to Henry. `Why is she here then? The daughters are trained from childhood.'

  `She wasn't raised by Diane. I therefore need you to train her yourself.' he saw the greed on

  Madison's eyes. `She is a treasure, isn't she?'

  `Indeed she is.' Then Madison walked over to Wendy and took her arm. `You are going to stay here for awhile as I nature that power that is inside you.' she started to drag Wendy away but stopped. `How rude of me! You should probably say goodbye to your father.' she let go of her arm and walked some distance away to give them privacy.

  Wendy walked to her father and not knowing how to do this just stood there awkwardly. Henry pushed the hair away from her face and tacked it behind her ear. `So you already knew I was your father.'

  `Yes.'

  `Did Victor tell you?'

  `No,' she looked at sea. `I overheard you say it the first day I met you.'

  `Eavesdropping is a bad habit!' he said. Wendy smiled at this. How could he possibly start teaching her about right and wrong? She was already a grown woman. He chuckled too. `I want you to remember what I told you and what Victor told you.'

  `I will.'

  `I want you to promise me that you will remember that Madison isn't your friend and will never be your friend.'

  `I will.'

  `Promise!'

  `I promise.'

  `Good. This is where I have to stop. Good luck!' he said and then to Wendy's surprise, he kissed her cheek. He then handed her a sort of card and then got back into the boat. He didn't look back when he was driving away.

  Suddenly Madison was by her side, `If I didn't see it for myself then I wouldn't have believed that Henry Clay was capable of loving someone other than himself.'

  `What?'

  `He cares for you,' Madison said and was leading her away. `Now it's time for tea. I would like it if you were to join me.'

  `Of course Miss Madison.'

  `Don't call me Miss. It's too formal.'

  They went into a large house that was there and as they were walking in Wendy noticed that there were other people and they were watching them with a mixture of curiosity and contempt. She immediately knew that she was not going to be easily accepted.

  As they sat down on the very low chairs, she asked, `Aren't I going to be tested?'

  `You tested?' she laughed sarcastically. `No, I already know that you are Henry's daughter and your mother was... you have the Izanami blood in you. I already know you are going to be a jewel.' She paused and looked directly at Wendy as her father normally did. `How far are gone in your training.'

  `I was just about to start with the powers but I can't say that I have completely mastered the physical part.'

  `Henry used to train you?'

  `No, Victor did,' Wendy saw Madison's reaction. She had already decided that since Madison didn't exactly know her she would play along and tell her as much she wanted to in order to confuse her.

  Madison was quiet for a long while until she had poured the tea and handed it to Wendy. Finally she was sitting down. `You are talking about Victor Raymond?'

  `The one and only.'

  `That explains why you were expecting some sort of a test.'

  Wendy sipped her tea. `He warned me about a lot of things in this place and told me to watch out.'

  `Which begs the question why you tell me that?'

  `I want us to start off in a good note.'

  Madison smiled, `Of course.'

  *

  Victor made his way into Gorham's castle. He had on a magical disguise but Gorham would be able to see who he really was. The castle was being prepared in readiness for the festival that was coming up in two days. There were so many people coming and going that even if he wasn't disguised he would have simply walked in without anyone noticing. The security in the city had slackened with Diane dead and Alice having taken over.

  He was lead into Gorham's office as if he was a guest and asked to wait. Technically Gorham was going to be expecting to meet a messenger from Alice's castle. He had to wait awhile then Gorham walked into the office. He stood up as expected and as Gorham walked to the desk, the former turned slowly towards him. Gorham stopped short in his step.

  He stared at Victor for a long time then turned to the guard who was in the office with them and asked for privacy. After the door closed behind him he turned questioningly at Victor. `What are you doing here?'

  `I came to see how things were fairing on here after the death of Diane.'

  `Where is Wendy?'

  `She is with her father, I think, at the moment.'

  `What do you mean by that?'

  `I mean time goes differently here and there. There is no telling how long a day is on either side. She could still be with her father or she might have been taken to the academy to be taught.'

  `I thought you were the one who was training her?'

  `Things got a bit complicated regarding that.'

  Gorham was accessing Victor, `Tell me why I shouldn't report you to the council.'

  `Because you hate the council and wouldn't want to do anything
to benefit them. Two, you want to know how Wendy is fairing on regardless of everything that went on and three...' he was interrupted by the door opening and footsteps were approaching him from behind.

  `Gorham honey,' the woman walked round the table to where Gorham was comfortably seated. `I really don't appreciate the fact that you have this bodyguard following me everywhere I go.'

  `What made you start doubting it? You didn't seem to notice his presence before!'

  `Exactly! Now he's becoming more and more conspicuous and I don't want people to look at me strangely.'

  `You know we could have discussed this some other time.' As he said this he signaled to the person who was in the room with him. Sidney turned to look at the person. The next thing that happened surprised Gorham utterly. Sidney's gaze was met by an astonished smiled from Victor and then she was going round the table and hugged Victor who was standing by now.

  `What are you doing here?' they asked in unison and then laughter ensued. `Seriously, what are you doing here?' she asked Victor managing to get her question through.

  `I'm here on official business with Gorham. What are you doing here?'

  `It's been a long time since we spoke,' she entangled herself from Victor and looked guiltily at

  Gorham. `I'm with him now.'

  At first he was stunned then he smiled wickedly, `You really do know how to pick them.' `Shut up!' she playfully slapped his arm.

  Gorham being lost wanted to see how much they knew each other before he started questioning them both but, only the fact they knew each other alone, was very odd considering he was a wizard. `Sidney, how do you know Victor?'

  Sidney turned looking a bit confused then she shook her head slightly. `Mm I think I should let Victor explain that part.' She started to move quickly to the door and turned abruptly. `Vic, you'll pass by the shop, we have a lot of things to discuss.' Then she was out of the door.

  Victor turned back to Gorham who was watching him accusingly. He sat down. `How do the two of you know each other?'

  `How much did she tell you about her past?'

  `Not much and considering that she knows you then I assume she has been keeping a lot of things from me.'

  `She probably just doesn't know how you are going to react if she was to tell you all of it.'

  `When is that supposed to be? I have asked her to marry me and she still thinks she can't trust me yet?'

  `You asked her to marry you?' Victor smiled at that. `That was so soon considering that Diane died barely a year ago.'

  `You are not the first person to comment about that but I truly love her.'

  Victor saw the sincerity in his eyes. `Well, all I can tell you is that if she hasn't run away from you by now then she must also love you.'

  Gorham was quiet for a long time. `Is she a wizard?'

  The smile on Victor's face was that of intrigue. `Would it be so bad that she was?'

  Another long pause, `She's expecting my child.'

  `She's what?' He was suddenly up. But before Gorham could repeat what he had just said, Victor was heading to the door.

  `Victor, where are you going?'

  `I'm sorry Your Majesty but I have to go. I'll come back though and update you on what is going with Wendy.' Then he was out of the door just like Sidney had disappeared. He had to admit to himself that he was losing the little power that he had over people. These days when he called someone to stay behind they just went through the door. At least Victor would be coming back to tell him about Wendy. He was very curious as to what was going on with her but now what was overwhelming was the connection between Victor and Sidney.

  *

  It wasn't very hard for Victor to locate Sidney's shop. She had the same M-O everywhere she went to. She would open up a jewelry shop get to know the people some very intimately but other time she just passed through without a second look at the town. She used to claim that she was looking for knowledge but Victor never believed her for a second but admittedly she just used to mix with those people who were most knowledgeable and in this city Gorham was it. Maybe he had doubts about her theory but it never explained why she would pack up and leave so suddenly without a second thought as to how much she was leaving behind.

  He entered the shop and there she was, as expected behind the counter. He looked around waiting for her to be alone. He was surprised to see Martin in the shop helping her out. That confirmed his suspicions. Whatever Sidney was after had nothing to do with knowledge. It was something else, something that she had been looking for a long time and she found it here. Martin noticed him staring but he didn't do anything about it.

  Victor moved around as if looking for something so as to avoid suspicion but he couldn't tell if he had averted Martin's suspicions. But it didn't matter because Sidney was alone. He walked over to her, kissed her cheek then seated himself opposite her. They didn't talk for a long time then Sidney chuckled.

  `Okay, I give up. You may ask what it is that is bothering you.'

  `Well, as you know, I can't seem to figure you out. Your motives, what you are searching for and more so, what it is that you are doing here.'

  `What was the question?'

  `What are you doing here?'

  `Selling jewelries and updating people on how to be elegant.'

  `That is normally a front for your real intentions.'

  `How would you know that when you just said it yourself that you can't seem to figure me out?'

  `I am concerned about Gorham. You aren't going to break his heart, are you?'

  `Why? It is none of your business!'

  He ignored that part. `He told me that you were pregnant.' Sidney didn't react to that. `Are you?'

  `Of course I am.'

  `You aren't playing a trick on him to see how far he will go?'

  `No, I'm not.' But Victor didn't believe her. He instead reached out across the counter and put his hand on her abdomen. She was stepping back but it wasn't fast enough. `Victor,' she cried.

  Neither noticed an audience that they were developing.

  He sat back down staring at her curiously. `I thought that you couldn't have children?'

  `Things work out in the end.'

  `Can you tell me what's going on?'

  `Like I said earlier, it's none of your business.' `It's my business. I'm your brother!' `Half-brother,' Sidney corrected.

  `That doesn't change anything.' he countered. They stared at each other and finally Sidney gave in.

  `Martin,' she called. `I'm going out. Can you take care of the shop?'

  `Of course, Miss Storm.'

  Sidney pulled Victor out of the shop and he walked hurriedly by her side. They were silent, neither wanting to be overheard when talking about the crucial things. Eventually they ended up in a deserted street. Sidney started the conversation. `You remember when mother tried to kill me.'

  `How can I forget?'

  `And I survived because of you partly and because fate had other plans for me.'

  `What are you saying?'

  `That I have been traveling around looking for what it was that I was preserved for and I found it here,' she paused and looked at Victor. He could see that her eyes were glistened but she wasn't about to cry in front of him. He had known her for much longer and that certainly wasn't going to take place. Not now anyway. `I found a family.'

  `Gorham?'

  She nodded. `And Martin and Joel.' Victor was staring incredulously at her. `I have a connection with them that I cannot explain to you.'

  `That is Diane's family.'

  `I guess I'm taking it over. She is after all dead.'

  Victor was quiet for a long time. `Why do I feel that you are not telling me everything?'

  `Because I'm not. I'm not ready for you to know everything so please don't tell Gorham about me.'

  `If you love him don't hide things from him. He will eventually
find out about everything.' No reply from Sidney. `He will find out one way or the other that you are a wizard.'

  `I'm not a wizard anymore.'

  `You may not have your powers but you still have all that knowledge and the blood runs through you. It is only a matter of time before you finally renew your powers and it will not make a difference that you lost them for some time.'

  `What are you talking about?'

  He thought of how much to tell her. `You didn't ask how I know Gorham.'

  `I figured you'd tell me if you liked to.'

  `I was sent here almost six years ago by Henry...’ `Henry Clay?' she asked her voice full of surprise.

  `Yes,' he watched her. `He knew Diane and, I was sent over here to watch over her.' `You failed. She's dead.'

  `No, I didn't fail. Anyway, I was to take her daughter out before anything would happen to her. Now she is being trained by Madison.'

  `Why is Wendy being trained by Madison?'

  `Did Gorham tell you about her?'

  `No. I'm just very well informed.'

  `I don't know if I should continue telling you what is going on.'

  `Come on,' she pleaded. `What's the worst that could happen?'

  `Fine but I will not mention the finer details. Wendy is being trained by Madison and as you already know, mother will try to kill her when she is done teaching her.'

  `How can Henry put her in that situation?'

  `He believes that Wendy will be able to kill her.'

  `Madison is a full pledged wizard and even though Wendy is from the Izanami clan she couldn't possibly do it alone...' suddenly something dawned on her. `Why is she training with Madison in the first place?'

  Victor smiled. `I'm not going there.' They were quiet as a group of people passed them.

  `How can you start telling me something like that then leave it halfway?'

  `If you want to know the whole story, ask Gorham.'

  `Are you kidding? Now that he knows that I am hiding a lot from him he will want to trade information or better yet hold it over my head.'

  `How does he put up with you?' They thought for awhile and they both started laughing. None of them could come up with something to explain that strange phenomenon. By the time they were walking back into the shop, they were sure they had covered the whole seven years that they hadn't seen each other.

  Victor left her there but didn't go directly to Gorham's castle. He walked around as he thought about what Sidney was doing. He knew she was never going to tell Gorham the truth about her and it was up to him to do that for her. But did he have the right to step in? What if Gorham didn't understand? He could ruin his sister's happiness because he thought that telling the truth would be better that letting fate take over.

  It was his duty to Gorham to tell him the truth. It would be good preparing him of what would happen when Madison died. Sidney's world on this side would come tumbling down before her very eyes. He wondered though how it was that she got pregnant. But he had a theory about that. When Sidney lost her powers all the inhibitions went away with them but she might lose...

  Someone interrupted his thoughts. He looked around at the person tapping his shoulders. It was one of the royal guards. He seemed familiar but he wasn't sure where he had seen him today.

  `His Royal Highness, King Gorham demands an audience with you.'

  `He what?' Victor didn't believe how that had come out so wrong. If he was in a better mood he would have laughed at that.

  `He would like to have a word with you, if you don't mind.' the guard rephrased his statement.

  `Where is he?' Victor asked looking around trying to locate Gorham. `I know he's here somewhere.'

  The guard looked impressed. `He's in the amour shop just around the corner.'

  Victor went to the shop where he found Gorham looking at some swords which had been laid out on the counter. He was dressed as one of the royal guards which was a fairly good disguise. King Gorham was never once expected to be wielding a weapon let alone be found shopping for it.

  `Very impressive,' Victor said after watching him for awhile. Gorham turned at him with a surprised look on his face. `What are you looking for?' He asked as he took the sword from him.

  `Who knows?' he answered full of humor.

  `What will you do if one of these days you are required to protect yourself?'

  `Why?'

  `Diane had you well protected but Alice is not like her. The security in your own castle is slacking and therefore you might have unwanted guests walk in once in a while.'

  `I can probably defend myself...'

  `Keep telling yourself that.'

  `Seriously Victor, I did learn a few things when I was younger.'

  `There's no point arguing with a King,' he paused then put the sword back down. `But unlike your guards, I still have to obey my queen and she said that you should be safe.'

  `Diane is alive?' Gorham's heart skipped a beat. Victor stared at him. `No, but she never wanted you to come to any harm and that is why I am obligated to warn you about Sidney.'

  Gorham knew something shocking was about to come next and so he dismissed the other guard who was next to him and turned expectantly.

  `Your Highness, there is no doubt that she loves you. I want you to know that before I say something else.' `Okay.'

  `Sidney is my sister!' He watched the shock register in Gorham's face. `Yes, she is a wizard.' `Oh my!' Gorham supported himself on the counter and didn't look at Victor.

  `She's actually my half-sister and she's not a full wizard though.'

  `What do you mean by that?'

  `I mean that she doesn't have her powers and therefore she also doesn't have the rest of the things that come along with the powers.' He saw that Gorham was confused. `It means that she isn't with you because she wants something from you but because she is genuinely in love with you.' `You said that she doesn't have any powers?'

  `Yes.'

  `What is she then?'

  `Our mother took her powers before she was going to kill her.' Again the shock. `But with a little bit of help, I managed to save her but we couldn't do anything about her powers. Without that she was defenseless and that is why again with a bit of help she was brought back to your world where she would be safe from my mother.

  My mother couldn't follow her here since she is a powerful wizard and the minute she put a step on the ground, the Izanami clan will know and they hunt her down.'

  `But Sidney is also a wizard how would she be safe where the Izanami clan was.'

  `She didn't have her powers and powers are what connect the Izanami to the wizards. That was why it was possible for Wendy to be born because technically, Diane was a `half-wizard'.'

  `She was?'

  `Yes.' Victor walked around to a shelf which had an array of arrows. `The weapon that killed her can only be controlled by the wizard half of her bloodline. Wizards have to take a history class with their training and in that class I was taught where the weapon came from.' Gorham had heard the story from Sidney but she might have altered some part of it to suit her and so he listened. `There was a king called Izanami who was to be the father of the Izanami clan. He was a powerful king but like all powerful kings, he had one powerful enemy,' Victor turned to face Gorham. `His brother was his enemy. His name was Cognoscenti.' He saw Gorham raise his eyebrows questioningly but he didn't ask any question and so he continued. `The name means `authority' unlike Izanami which means `god' or immortality. They were not always enemies but after they fell in love with the same woman...' He sighed. `Fate can be cruel at times.

  Anyway, they both fell in love with the same woman called Jansenist meaning `mortal, soul, or advocate' depending on how you look at her. She was said to be Izanami's mortality, the soul to Cognoscenti and the people's advocate. Regardless of everything that she represented, she couldn't help it that two brother’s fell in love with
her. She chose Izanami although she was initially with Cognoscenti. No wonder he was mad.

  Cognoscenti swore the day they were wed that he would never rest until he destroyed her. Note, not the brother but Jansenist who had betrayed him. Time passed and other people's lives went on but Cognoscenti was always watching Jansenist and he was the first to notice that she wasn't aging. He was the one who made the formal accusation that Jansenist was a wizard. Of course living with a code of honor, she never lied about who she was. She was tried by her own husband and found guilty. They sentenced her to death but who knew how to kill a wizard who was as powerful as she was. They tried everything but she just wouldn't die.

  Finally when they gave up she asked to be allowed to speak. She went up to the council at the time and told them that the only person who would be able to kill her was her husband because since they were married legally, he had some of her power and would be able to kill her. Note that they didn't understand what the term legally meant for a wizard.'

  `What does it mean?'

  Victor smiled, `It means that there was no sorcery or spell used to make the partner fall in love and that the wizard was also genuinely in love with his or her partner. And so when you are legally wed for a wizard, you share half of each other. Back to the story, Izanami had no choice but to try to kill her after all that was what the law claimed to be right. He wielded his sword and walked towards her. When he held the sword up about to strike, it changed right before their very eyes into the weapon you see today and thus Jansenist was killed by Izanami by the hand of Cognoscenti. She was the first of many to die under the Izanami Clan.' He paused. `It's a great story!'

  Gorham was quiet for awhile wondering how he was going to bring up the necklace he had given Sidney. `What about the Ikhnaton stone?'

  `How'd you know about that?' but before Gorham answered he said, `Sidney told you.'

  `I want to hear it from you.'

  Victor shrugged. `The stone was made specifically for Jansenist by Izanami and it is said that she turned it into a necklace. The reason, to wear it wherever she went. But the stone disappeared right after she was killed.'

  `What if it didn't disappear?'

  `Then whoever took it would have the most powerful artifact there is in this world.' `Elaborate please.'

  `As far as legend is concerned, it is written that the stone was not as ordinary as it seemed and that was why Izanami had given it to her. The brother Cognoscenti convinced his elder brother that that would make the perfect wedding present. Then he was the one who went to Jansenist and also convinced her to turn it into a necklace.'

  `I thought he swore that he would destroy her? Why would they listen to her after all that?'

  `Neither Jansenist nor Cognoscenti told Izanami about the affair that they had. To Izanami, his brother was doing the best job being just his brother and to Jansenist, she thought that he had changed or didn't bare bad feelings. Either way Cognoscenti had a gift of manipulating people to do his will. That was probably why he was called authority. It seemed that he was the one ruling though his brother was the face of leadership.'

  `Okay, back to the necklace then.'

  `The stone was said to be from a valley of the fallen tears. And the stones collected there would usually be used to trap spirits. And it is said that Cognoscenti manipulated them both in order to have the spirit transferred from Jansenist when she died.'

  `So, whoever wears the necklace is possessed by Jansenist's spirit?'

  `That's not how it works. Spirits can only influence people's thoughts and decisions but this one is different. It obviously had some Jansenist's spirit which would make it a very powerful artifact to possess but there is the part in the rumor where all three of them are normally reincarnated. Unfortunately if it was possible for the reincarnation of Jansenist that means that Cognoscenti failed in some form or another in the transfer of the spirit. So if an ordinary person would put on the necklace they would die within a few days because of the powers within the necklace.'

  `What about a not so normal person?'

  `Are these questions going anywhere specifically?'

  `Just answer the questions.'

  `Fine. A not so normal person would die within a few months. That is people as powerful as you. Wizards would last a couple of years. But then when the necklace came back to the reincarnation of Jansenist, only the reincarnation of Izanami could put it on her or remove it from her.'

  Gorham whirled around and grabbed the counter. `I- don't believe this. I can't be the reincarnation of Izanami!'

  `Why would you think that?'

  Gorham looked at him strangely. `Because I know for sure that Sidney is Jansenist.' `My sister Sidney?'

  `Yes.'

  Victor decided not to try arguing with Gorham. He was probably losing his mind. He thought that reasoning with him was the only way. So he asked calmly, `Why would you think that Sidney is the reincarnation of Jansenist?'

  By the time that Gorham was done explaining, he had Victor convinced. They sat in silence as the news sank in deeper by they still couldn't believe it though they could see it plainly in black and white.

  Finally it was Victor who saw how to approach the problem. `Gorham, do you love Sidney?' `Of course I do.'

  `That has no reason whatsoever that she is supposed to represent Jansenist in this life?' `Of course not.'

  `What about the fact that she is partly a wizard?'

  `I don't see how that changes anything. She is still Sidney.'

  `Then I should suggest that you act as if this conversation never took place.'

  `The necklace. I'll remove it. Maybe she is being possessed by the spirit.'

  `No, it is safer to leave the necklace on her. It is the only thing that can protect her from

  Cognoscenti. If she is Jansenist and you are Izanami then Cognoscenti is not far away.' `Actually,' Gorham felt sick. `I think that Nathan is Cognoscenti!'