Crossroads-Book 1

•Chapter 32•

[Trevor]

"Hold still," Chang advised.

I held as still as possible.

David lowered his poised hand slowly and I braced myself for the pain.

"AAAAH!" I screamed as his hands finally landed on my leg.

It took all my strength not to reach out and grab my thigh and I tell you, I had very little strength left.

In a second, my leg was healed. There was no searing pain coursing through the veins there and it felt numb and as light as a feather.

A calming sensation like the pulsing of water currents washed over me and I breathed out a sigh of relief.

"Thank you," I said to the silent diviner.

He nodded and I saw a hint of a smile on his face before his brows furrowed and he turned to look at Chang with a worried expression.

Chang nodded. "Healing magic shouldn't hurt. I dunno why it did."

"Maybe, the damage was from Shu?" I suggested.

David shook his head.

"Yes. David has healed many people that were injured by some sort of magic from Shu. It was never a painful process...but anyway, situations are different. Now that's cleared and everybody's fairly okay..." Chang said.

It's time to yell, I thought and hey! I was right.

"Let's talk about Shu," he started.

We were all in the garden in Horei, sitting on the perfectly manicured turf.

It was mid afternoon and the sun glinted harshly down on any open space it could reach.

Horei's birds chirped and pretty flowers bloomed everywhere.

I forgot to ask before but now I didn't need to. I knew we were in the rise season.

I could see the dissolved particles of the leaves dancing in the air as the occasional light breeze flew past.

We were probably gone from home too long and I wondered if our clones were doing a good job of being us.

Please, cause trouble or something, I prayed. If I acted nice to Tanya, my parents would know something was wrong with their child.

Anyway, Chang stared at each and every one of us, the glint of the sun making his irises to change form grey to amber causing him to appear menacing.

I glanced at the others.
Maddie and Tanya plucked the grass that was in the centre of their crossed legs.

Lucy stared ahead, her gaze even beyond Bru's palace.

Alexa picked at her nails.

Alexis wouldn't meet Chang's eyes.

I sat there, my mind more focused on the fact that my leg was healed so I could still play basketball.

"Why would you even think of going there?!" he exploded finally.

"I indirectly warned you twice. First, it was in the forest when we all went there the first time. I told you diviners of Shu can detect a spirit of Reina anywhere in their kingdom, except in the forests. The second time was when Alexis and Alexa appeared in Shu's river by accident and their bodies began to burn but I healed them thankfully..."

He paused to take in a breath of air.
Then he went on.

"Look, I know this spirit of Reina thing is fun and exciting but guys, it's not just magic and kingdoms. This stuff deadly and dangerous. It can and will kill you...I dunno how else I could say this bluntly," he sighed.