“I’m not sure…Things seem to work differently with you. You might get one and you might not.” His fingers linger on my skin for an instant longer before he pressed the gauze back into place and tugged the corner of my shirt back down. “There good. Completely intact and infection free.”
“Good,” I said. And then, being the polite girl that I was, added, “Thanks for making sure.”
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“Whoa. Hold on.” He smiled, cupping his hand around his ear. “Did I seriously just hear you say thanks?”
“I’ve said thanks to you before,” I said.
He raised his eyebrows accusingly.
“Well, maybe not to you per se, but I’ve said the word before.”
“Oh yeah.” He laughed. “Is that so?” I nodded. “But I only say it when I truly mean it, so it doesn’t come out a whole lot.” He laughed again, and I felt my own smile breaking through.
Okay. Time out. Were we seriously, after everything we’d been through, having a moment here. So weird. Although, I wasn’t going to lie and say that I wasn’t enjoying it.
The moment gave me a brief glimpse into what things might have been like if I was normal.
However, when one of the tall, silver doors opened up, our little moment slipped away, just like that.
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“He's ready for you.” Nicholas said, holding the door open. “You can come in.” As I stepped through the doorway, I had to catch my breath. The place made the glass cave look completely ordinary. Shiny cutouts of silver and blue porcelain paved the way through green gemstones that mimicked blades of grass. The blue sky shined like a giant diamond, the cotton ball clouds floating across it like a mirage.
Alex and I followed Nicholas down the porcelain path, winding back and forth until we arrived at a silver throne perched on top of a sapphire platform. A short, plump man with curly elf shoes and dark brown hair stood beside the throne. Nicholas approached him, whispered something in his ear, and the little man nodded.
While Nicholas was distracted, Alex placed his hand on my arm and whispered,
“Oh yeah. You need to be careful around 593/695
Nicholas. He’s part faerie so he can’t be trusted.”
Before I could even react to the word faerie, or the combusting electricity his breath and touch brought on, a man appeared from behind the throne. He was maybe in his sixties, give or take a few years.
He was tall with pale skin and grey shoulder length hair. The silver shade of the robe he wore matched the silver shade of his eyes.
He took a seat in the throne, curling his thin fingers over the edges of the armrests.
“Welcome to the City of Crystal. I am Dyvinius, leader of the Foreseers.” His voice came out in slow, motionless syllables—very monotone-like. “I understand that you were able to use the Foreseers power to channel up a vision yesterday. Am I correct?” I glanced around idiotically and then it clicked. Oh yeah, he was probably talking to me. “Umm…yeah.”
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“Good.” Dyvinius tapped his fingers together, seeming pleased. “Well, I’m not sure if you know much about what a Foreseer does, or what we are, so I’ll explain. What we do is we use the energy of the Divination Crystal to see visions of either the past or the future. But mostly it’s the future. Once the vision is read, it becomes permanent. There is no changing it.”
Maybe he should explain that to the Keepers, since they seem to think differently.
Most of my life had been center around trying to do just that, and here he was saying it was impossible. What if he was right, though? Would that mean there was no hope to stop the portal from opening up? That there was no hope for humanity?
Wow. Talk about slapping reality across my face. And reality seemed to be forming a giant lump in my throat that was making it super hard to swallow.
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“Now from what I understand, you saw a past vision, which isn’t too uncommon of a thing to happen with beginners,” said Dyvinius.
I felt like I might cry. The vision I’d seen was from the past. Which meant what? That the woman in it couldn’t be saved?
That lump in my throat nearly doubled in size.
“When a person goes into their first vision, they usually don’t know what they’re doing,” Dyvinius continued. “However, typically the Foreseer ability is discovered in a person before they see their first vision. That way we are able to monitor them. Occasionally, someone does end up slipping through the radar undetected. Sometimes we’re lucky enough to discover them later on, but sometimes we don’t.” His silver eyes locked on me, his expression blank. “We have a radar system that lets us know when there has been an interference with a Divination 596/695
Crystal. Now it’s not necessarily a bad thing—what you did. Although I have to say, you are very lucky you were able to come out of it. Sometimes people do get stuck.” He paused. “Even though the vision you saw was from the past, it does need to be read correctly. Otherwise, it can alter the human world as we know it.” His face suddenly lit up. “And so we have brought you down here to re-see your vision and to be trained as a Foreseer.”
I casted a frantic glance at Alex.
“Is something wrong?’ Dyvinius asked me. “You look upset.”
“Umm…” I struggled.
Alex stepped forward. “I don’t think her staying here is going to be possible right now. There are certain circumstances that require her to stay with the Keepers.” Dyvinius stared at Alex, seriousness shadowing in his silver eyes. “The Keepers…Tell me boy, what is your name?” 597/695
“Alex Avery,” Alex responded calmly.
“Any relation to Stephan Avery?” Dyvinius asked.
Alex nodded. “He’s my father.”
“Oh, I see,” Dyvinius said and it was clear he wasn’t pleased. “Tell me Alex, what are these circumstances that are keeping Gemma with the Keepers?”
“I can’t answer that,” Alex replied coolly.
“As you know, like the Foreseers, Keepers have certain things they have to keep to themselves.”
“Yes, I do understand. However, there are also laws we’re all supposed to follow.
I’m sure you know the law that states that if a person is able to use the crystal ball to see a vision, then they have to be trained in the City of Crystal by the Foreseers.” His mouth sagged down into what I assumed was supposed to be a frown, but seeing a frown on his expressionless face just looked creepy. “If Gemma doesn’t stay here then she could end 598/695
up altering the future. Or end up getting trapped inside a vision if she tries to enter one again.”
My heart raced. Oh no. He was going to make me stay. I looked over at Alex, my eyes pleading with him to do something.
.“I understand that. I really do,” Alex said. “But there has to be something we could work out.”
It was amazing how calm Alex was being.
Not me. I was freaking out. And yes, I’d started the nail biting thing again.
Dyvinius’s sliver eyes darkened, sending a chill down my spine. “Yes, maybe we could work something out… If you were to make a promise that she would never use a crystal ball again until she has been properly trained, then I don’t see why I can’t let her go back with the Keepers for awhile.” He paused. “Of course, after these circumstances that are keeping her with the Keepers are gone, she’d have to come back.” 599/695
Okay, now I was really panicking. I never wanted to come back here. Ever.
Alex stayed quiet, arms crossed, jaw set.
“Otherwise I’ll have to have hermake the promise.” Dyvinius’s eyes glinted. “But I have a feeling you’d probably rather make the promise.”
Was I missing something here? Was something going to happen if the promise was broken? Something bad?
“I guess a promise could be arranged…by me.” Alex gritted through his teeth.
“Very good.” Dyvinius beamed. And I had to say, his beaming was even creepier than his frown. “You understand that you’re making that promise in the City of Crystal.