Sahara Ashdell: The Son of Evil (Book 2)
Chapter 9 - A Step Toward Friendship

As morning arrives, Sahara is awaken by a loud banging on her door before she hears an elleth’s voice scolding the guard for knocking so loudly. “Are you trying to wake the entire castle? We aren’t trying to knock down the door.” Sahara moves over opening the door to see who is speaking. “Oh, hello.” Jewel says with a large smile as she pushes the guard to the side of the door.

“Good morning?” Sahara says looking out in the hall to see if someone else is out there. She has never had the Aran’s mistress come to talk to her before.

“I know it is early and you were up late but, might I come in?” Jewel asks.

“Um.” Sahara moves out of the way for her to enter. “I guess.”

Jewel closes the door behind her. “How are you?”

“Alright.” Sahara says keeping her position standing next to the door. She feels confused as she watches Jewel move over toward her bed and run her hand along the silky blanket.

“What a lovely room.” She says turning back to smile at Sahara.

“Thank you.” Sahara says cautiously.

“I am Jewel, the Aran’s mistress.” She says with a curtsy.

“Yes. I know who you are.” Sahara replies.

“Then, I am sure you also know that Brystol hates me?” Jewel says looking sad.

“I don’t really know.” Sahara says knowing it is partially a lie.

“He never mentioned it to you?” Jewel asks.

“You must not know that Brystol and I do not exactly get along.” Sahara says with a laugh.

“I find the two of you confusing, honestly. I saw you fighting and then I also saw you kissing when we were at Kinderton. I wasn’t spying! You were just out in the hall kissing.” Jewel says awkwardly and it causes Sahara to blush. She didn’t know anyone had seen them kiss. She had actually forgotten that Jewel had even come the day after all the other guests with her child to stay for the holiday. “I thought perhaps the two of you had found your way to being a couple. But then you seemed to be avoiding him after your encounter with Raglen. Anyway,” She shakes her head and smiles before continuing, “I am not sure what happened last night nor why the two of you are here. The Aran was quite mad last night when he came to bed but I tried to smooth things over for the two of you. If you wait to see him after breakfast, he will be in a much more giving mood.”

“Why are you telling me this?” Sahara asks hugging herself from the chill she feels through her night gown.

“I was hoping you would perhaps put in a good word for me with Brystol.” Jewel says looking shyly. “I have always considered him a son, and we once were so close.”

“Oh.” Sahara says feeling odd. She was not sure she should be the one brought into their quarrel.

“I thought if he knew I helped lessen his punishment, he might find a way to forgive me, for whatever it is he thinks I have done.” Jewel says looking as though she is going to cry.

“I will mention it to him. Thank you for helping us.” Sahara says politely hoping that will be the end of their conversation.

“Thank you, Aranel!” Jewel says excitedly. “I am sorry to have woken you so early, I just didn’t want Rayterbay to know where I was going. I will leave you alone now.” She says moving towards the door to exit.

“Have a nice day.” Sahara says opening the door for her.

“Thank you Aranel. Thank you so much.” Jewel says happily as she exits.

Sahara takes Jewels advise and does not approach the Aran until after Breakfast, when he is in his office looking over some scrolls. “Aran?” She says meekly as she enters the room.

“Sahara.” He says standing up. “Excellent timing, I just sent for Brystol. Come in.”

Sahara moves inside realizing he does not seem as angry as she expected. She had not given much credit to Jewel’s claim to have calmed him but she seems to have done it. “Am I invited also?’ The Tari asks entering the room behind Sahara.

“Of course, when have I ever left you out of such matters.” The Aran nods in greeting to her. “Sit, please.” He says motioning for the two of them to sit on the couch and they comply. Brystol soon arrives and looks overly tired. “Ah, son. Come in and sit. You look as though you had a rough night.”

Brystol sits down next to Sahara as he speaks sounding tired, “It was not the best night.”

“As long as you had time to reflect on your actions.” The Aran says.

“I have, you were right. Agreeing to help the enemy is a weak move and that could destroy us just as easily as if they had taken Sahara. An Aran should never let his heart get in the way of the choices he makes and he should never bargain with evil. Also, if I had told you at the beginning we could have been preparing for a way to prevent Raglen from teleporting and endangering Sahara at all because now we are months behind them.” Brystol replies.

“You learned more than I expected.” The Aran says in proud surprise.

“So, what do we do to stop Raglen?” Brystol asks his father.

The Aran smiles as he responds, “I am glad you asked. Come along.” He walks toward the office exit. Sahara follows the three Treegan’s down the hall and outside. After a few moments of walking, she realizes they are approaching the dungeons.

“Please don’t tell me I have to go back in there?” Brystol says hopefully.

“Just for a few minutes.” The Aran says holding the door open for them to enter. Brystol huffs as he reluctantly enters and Sahara follows close behind him. “Just around the corner up there, why don’t you lead the way Nathila.” The Aran points down the hall toward an area the looks like it is under construction.

“Do not be offended or alarmed by this.” Tari Nathila says glancing at Sahara, who feels surprised by her comment.

They arrive to a small new room that looks a lot like the one Brystol was in last night. “Everyone inside.” The Aran says shuffling them inside before he closes the door. “Sahara, would you teleport Nathila back to the castle?” Sahara gives him an odd look wondering why he wants her to teleport her home. “Please?”

Sahara tries to teleport the Tari back to the library, but she notices nothing happen. She closes her eyes and again tries to teleport the Tari, but again nothing happens. “I can’t.” Sahara says as she shakes her head realizing what this room actually is.

“And how about teleporting yourself?” He asks with a smile Sahara finds unsettling.

“I think you know I can’t.” She says after she tries to teleport to Malorsty.

“This room is made of vehiminal. The same mineral that was in that bracelet Fazor gave you last year. We were able to find it in the outer regions.” The Aran says proudly patting the wall.

Sahara glances over at Brystol, who is looking at her in concern. She then looks at the Tari and Aran in fear. “What is this?” Sahara asks in slight shock. “Is this a cell for me?”

“Elfie, please don’t get upset?” Tari Nathila says consolingly.

“I would rather you be upset in here than anywhere else.” The Aran says not feeling ashamed. “This room is so packed with vehiminal your powers should be useless.”

Sahara suddenly can’t seem to catch her breath as she tries to let it sink in on how they have been planning this for over a year now. Her anger is growing and all she wants to do is to make the room collapse, but she cannot. The Aran was right she is powerless here. She can’t even manage a spell to open the door. “We hoped we would never have to use it on you.” The Tari says and Sahara can’t help but let the tears fall from her eyes.

“This might be a good time to get all your emotions out before we leave.” The Aran says.

“Why didn’t you just put me in here last night?” Sahara asks avoiding everyone staring at her.

“The thought crossed my mind, but I wanted you to know I trusted you before I showed you today.” The Aran replies.

“Trusted me?” Sahara scuffs before she waves her hand around in the air at the walls, “This is not what trust looks like. Did you know?” She turns looking at Brystol.

He shakes his head adamantly with his response, “No, I swear I had no idea.”

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“We worried after you found your emotional magic that you might need a safe room.” The Aran tries to explain but Sahara interrupts him.

“You mean a place to keep all of you safe?” Sahara asks drying her eyes.

“You have hurt us on separate occasions.” The Aran says honestly and Sahara can’t deny his truthfulness but it does not make this hurt any less.

“I would like to leave please?” She says moving closer to the door.

“The door is not locked.” The Aran says simply.

Sahara quickly opens the door wanting to go find somewhere to be alone. She could not get a grasp on what she was feeling. “Sahara wait.” She hears Brystol running after her as she moves down the hall. She was just about to teleport before she heard him. “I am so sorry. I swear I had no idea they were doing any of this.”

“I can’t be here right now.” She says stepping back from him and shaking her head.

“Me either. Can I come too?” He asks hopefully.

She sees the Aran and Tari step out into the hall behind Brystol and she quickly teleports herself and Brystol. They are in her room at Holestroy, it was the only place she could think of at the spur of the moment. “Am I a monster?” She asks feeling confused.

“No!” He shakes his head stepping closer to her and caressing her face. “A monster would have killed Fazor, my parents, and me. You had the chance, but you didn’t take it. No one thinks you are a monster. My parents, they are just doing their job and preparing for every possibility.”

She nods her head knowing he is right. It is their job to prepare for if she did turn evil. “I guess it works out to use against Raglen at least.” She tries to reason with her emotions.

“I am sorry they ambushed you. They should have at least warned us.” He says pulling her in for a hug. She wraps her arms around his waist and berries her face in his chest. She realizes how safe she feels with him holding her and she does not fight the tears she feels gnawing at her eyelids. She had been holding emotions back for far too long; her missing the Craigs, the Treegan’s lies about her betrothal, her feeling hurt from Brystol’s betrayals against her, and now the cell they built for her. Her tears were way overdue. After a few minutes of crying, she realizes she feels better about everything. She looks up at Brystol, who is still hugging her. He smiles at her as he asks, “Do you feel better?”

She nods her head before speaking. “Thank you.” She says pushing out of his arms as she feels nervous suddenly. She remembers suddenly, “Jewel came to visit me this morning.”

“Why?” Brystol asks looking confused.

“She smoothed things over for you with your father. She seems to really love and miss you.” She replies. Brystol only shakes his head in response and Sahara can’t stop her curiosity. “She doesn’t understand why you no longer like her. Did you use to be close?”

“I didn’t know better.” Brystol walks over and sits on her bed. “I didn’t know who she was really. Or at least what she meant.” Sahara moves over sitting next to him on the bed realizing he seems sad. “I didn’t know how much her existence hurt my mother.”

“You didn’t realize she was his mistress?” Sahara asks trying to understand his words.

“I just thought she was one of the maids that was assigned to care for us. One day, I was playing a hiding game with Trylla, when I overheard my parent’s having a heated conversation. My mother was crying and upset. I had never heard her sound so…broken.” Sahara sees a tear run down Brystol’s cheek as he speaks. “They were fighting because he had impregnated Jewel. Mother begged father to kill her because it was too embarrassing for her to live with how he was hurting and shaming her as his wife.”

Sahara feels her tears grow in her eyes from the sadness she is feeling for Tari Natthila. “That is horrible.” She says placing her hand on Brystol’s and scooting closer to him. She wanted to comfort him.

“Father caught me listening as he was leaving the room. He didn’t say a word to me and just carelessly walked past me. I couldn’t bare mother’s crying so I went in and held her for a long time. She was so hurt.” He shakes his head at the memory. “I promised I would never take a mistress because I could never make any elleth feel the way I saw her feel that day.” She sees him wipe tears from his cheeks before he looks into her eyes and it makes her want to take his pain away. She can’t say anything as she just looks at him. She had not planned on kissing him, but before she realizes her lips are against his spurring electricity through her body. She is not sure if he started the kiss or if she did but she knew she wasn’t going to stop it. She could feel him laying her down on the bed and she is not sure why but, she suddenly feels panicked.

“We have to go!” She says quickly moving out from underneath him, so that she is standing next to the bed. “Practice.” She says making sure he remembers they have plorksol practice to get to.

He stands up with a smirk next to her. “Right. Practice.”

“And I didn’t mean to kiss you.” Her last words seem to wound him before she teleports him to the ellon’s plorksol locker room at Malorsty. She then teleports herself to her Malorsty room.

She hurries to over to search through her trunk for her declure. She just needed to know something about her future. Even if it was the same future she had seen before, she would be able to see the details she might have missed the first time. She just can’t be feeling things for Brystol like this. It was not what her future held if she was really going to marry one of the other elves she had seen in the futures last time. She sighs as she pulls out the declure and uses her finger to create a light. She shines the light through the declure, so that the rainbow appears on the wall. She could not remember the words, since it had been a year since she had used it. “Panta tulwie, panta attea avanyarima fende aranta cala cil.” She reads the words aloud before the room begins to shake and a picture appears in front of her.

Malorsty Academy appears in the picture but it is night time. She can see explosions above the academy hitting against the protective wall. Student’s are screaming and running toward the academy in fear. Headorean Shawdlortur comes running out fighting through students as he arrives to her future self, who is standing with Brystol watching the explosions. “Sahara! You must teleport to the human world before they break through.” Shawdlortur demands.

“I can’t leave everyone!” Her future self says shaking her head adamantly. Sahara realizes she and Brystol are wearing fourth-year clothing.

“Yes, you can.” Brystol says placing his hands on her cheeks and forcing her to look at him. “You have to. He is too strong now. You can’t defeat him.”

“Come with me?” Sahara asks Brystol as a tear runs down her face.

“I can’t. You know I can’t.” Brystol says wiping her tear away.

“I can’t leave you.” Sahara says hugging Brystol.

“You have to.” He says hugging her for a short moment before kissing her. “It is the only way to keep him from growing stronger and destroying our world.” He pushes her away from him with his next word, “Go.”

“Never come back, Aranal.” Headorean Shawdlortur says as she sees her future self look around at the explosions above them.

“I love you.” Brystol says and her future self quickly wraps her arms around him again.

“I love you too.” Her future self’s words hurt her heart. She could love him in the future. The next words she hears herself say surprise her. “I am sorry, I should have killed her when I had the chance.”

The picture suddenly fades before Malorsty Academy appears again, but in daylight this time. Sahara sees student’s exiting carriages as if they are returning to the academy. “Sahara!” She hears Marol’s voice before she sees her running down the stairs of the entrance followed closely by Carol. Sahara sees her future self exit the Kinderton carriage, just as Marol reaches the carriage and wraps her arms around her. Carol joins in their hug and Sahara notices the trio seems sad.

“We should go in.” Sahara says releasing the twins from the hug. The three quietly proceed up the stairs toward the entrance as other students watch them and whisper.

“What is going on?” Sahara asks out loud as she watches the scene of the future. She knows something is terribly wrong.

Mecca appears in front of the trio stopping them. “Hey. I hate what happened over holiday. If you need anything, just let me know.”

“Thank you, Mecca.” Sahara says before walking past Mecca and the silent Phylan. She notices Brystol leaned up against the wall of the hallway as she enters the academy. He smiles at her before he embraces her in a tight hug and she notices they are again in fourth-year outfits. “Sorry, I couldn’t ride back with you.” She says.

“It’s fine. I know father had you well protected on your journey.” Brystol says before kissing her forehead.

Her future self looks around the halls at all of the gawking elves. “They all blame me.”

“They weren’t there, they don’t know what happened.” Brystol says as he turns her face back toward his. “She turned evil. You did what you had to.” His words cause tears to break free from her eyes.

“It wasn’t Bularia anymore.” Carol says sadly. “It was Heltus you killed.”

“Heltus was the one who really killed Bularia.” Marol says agreeing with Carol just before the picture fades away.

Sahara feels her heart pounding quickly as she wipes the tears off of her face. “I kill Bularia?” She asks out loud just before the door to the room opens. She grabs the declure and holds it behind her back as she twists to face the door in surprise. She sees Bularia, Carol, and Marol all entering the room laughing, until they see Sahara and their smiles fade.

“What is wrong?” Bularia asks looking around the room for some kind of danger.

“Nothing. Nothing.” Sahara shakes her head with her reply.

“Have you been crying?” Marol asks moving closer to her.

“No!” Sahara yells the word as she moves back away from Marol. Her roommates look surprised by her actions. “Sorry. I just need to get ready for practice. I can’t be late.”

“You still have an hour.” Bularia says pointing toward the clock.

“I know but I need a shower.” Sahara says moving over to her trunk so she can sneak the declure back inside and find her practice clothes to put on.

“Why before practice?” Bularia asks giving her an odd look.

“Because I need one.” Sahara says as she manages to keep them from seeing the declure and pulls her clothes out before closing the trunk. “See you all later.” She says before briskly walking through them and out of the door toward the bathroom. She closes herself in a stall of the bathroom before she lets out a heavy breath. She needed to talk to someone about what she saw, but she couldn’t tell her roommates she might kill one of them by this time next year. She wonders if she can trust Brystol. He was the only one that knew about her declure anyway. And since he had trusted her to keep what all he had done quiet, maybe he could return the favor. She quickly changes before teleporting her clothes back to her trunk.

“I need to talk to you.” She grabs Brystol by the arm as he finally arrives to the plorksol field. She pulls him with her toward the underside of the bleachers. She looks around making sure no one is close enough to hear her words before she starts to ramble. “I used it again and if I don’t kill her they get too strong for me but if I do all seemed normal. Aside from the fact she is gone. Maybe there is a third possible future right? I mean there could be.”

“Slow down. What are you talking about?” Brystol waves his hands toward her in confusion.

“I used the declure. I can’t kill someone.” She whispers looking cautiously around.

“You kill someone?” He asks mimicking her whisper.

“In the first future, I apparently didn’t kill her and I was having to abandon everyone because Patreek and his followers had gotten too strong. I said something about it being my fault because I didn’t kill her. Then in the second future, everything seemed okay because I had killed her.” She says trying to keep her tears at bay.

“Who is this her?” He asks.

“It doesn’t matter.” She says trying to avoid telling him who it was before she asks, “Does the name Heltus mean anything to you?”

“Was he in the…” Brystol begins to ask but Sahara interrupts him.

“Someone mentioned him as taking over someone’s body.” She explains.

“I know who he is. He use to work at Holestroy as my father’s head guard. He was arrested a few years ago because he was revealed to be one of Patreek’s followers.” Brystol says looking concerned.

“So, he is in prison somewhere?” Sahara asks hopefully.

“Not anymore.” Brystol looks over toward the other players, who are calling for them to come join the practice.

“What do you mean, anymore?” Sahara feels her heart hurting from the thought that Bularia is already in danger.

“All the prisoners escaped when Frazor did last year.” Brystol answers and Sahara remembers how Frazor had smiled at her after she teleported him into the prison. He looked happy, as if it was exactly what he wanted.

“They wanted me to teleport them into the prison.” She says realizing she was just their pawn in that battle and she had not really ever won. “I did exactly what they wanted.” She cries at the realization.

“Huh?” He hums in confusion.

“I have to go.” Sahara says trying to move around Brystol.

“We have practice.” He says trying to stop her from leaving.

“I have something more important to do.” She says over her shoulder as she begins to run towards the elleth’s locker room.

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