Knife of Rebellion: Battles of Eyenwar, Book 1

Chapter 37- Mediation

"Why is he here?" The Yuvana asks testily.

She is referring to Cairo, who is kneeling next to me in the shallow, glowing water of the underground pool.

"I want him here." I answer stubbornly.

The Yuvana shakes her head, "you are much more disobedient than any self respecting apprentice should be."

"I am not your apprentice anymore." I remind her.

The Yuvana waves me off, indicating that I am, and always will be her apprentice.

"Will this hurt her?" Cairo asks protectively.

The Yuvana snorts, "only if she cannot focus."

Cairo does not speak again.

The Yuvana settles herself cross-legged in the shallow water directly across from me. Even kneeling, my head is level with hers.

"Lean forward." She instructs.

I do so. She also leans forward until our foreheads brush against each other's.

"Communicate with me."

I do that too, reaching out for The Yuvana's mind on the spirit plain. Here in the glowing pool, her spirit light is much stronger than I am use to, and is like an anchor to my turbulent mind.

Do you hear me? The Yuvana whispers.

I send her my confirmation.

Good. I need you to visualize an island.

My mind's eye creates a calm, misty water surrounding a protruding piece of rock, covered in vibrant green moss.

Now build yourself shelter.

On the island appears a small wagon, its wheels removed. It looks just like my mothers caravan back in Torrain.

Go inside.

I follow instructions. Inside is a cozy armchair and a warm lamp. One with real fire in it for once. Tea bubbles on a small stove.

This is where you will go every time you read the book.

That's it? I ask, astounded.

The Yuvana snorts aloud, not even close. Now we have to build your protection.

Together, the Yuvana and I summon more fog, it rolls off my mind-sea in a solid wave of grey. Woven into the mist is a magical net, meant to confuse and disorient any mind that comes anywhere near my island.

The procedure is fairly simple. Powerful, but the incantation is only a few words.

Why couldn't you just tell me how to do this? I wonder.

Because, The Yuvana answers testily, you need two people to create the key.

I will need a key?

Of course. How else did you expect to get back to your island? She snarks.

Of course.

I start to imagine a key, simple steel. No filigree.

I can feel The Yuvana's disapproval reverberating through my entire head.

The Key into your mind cage is not a literal key. It's an emotional trigger, one that is unique to you, one that Nadra will never be able to duplicate.

I shuffle through the emotions I hold most dear. Pride in my accomplishments? Hardly outside Nadra's field of comprehension. Loyalty? Still predictable, and Nadra does have her own form of loyalty to her revenge.

My mind alights on one emotion that I know Nadra has forgotten, if indeed she ever had it. I form the image in my mind, feeding all of my feelings into it.

Ah. The Yuvana perceives. She finishes the key with a final stamp, locking information in while I lock information out. The double layer of security will keep out a thousand Nadras.

We both withdraw form my subconscious into the still, warm air of the underground lake. Cairo stands aside, waiting patiently.

"Any information you gather while inside your mind island will be safe from nadra, but you will only be able to access it while inside." The Yuvana informs me briskly.

I stand, stretching my stiff knees and ankles, "Anything I read while inside I wont remember once I exit?"

"Exactly."

Inconvenient, but workable.

"You were glowing, like before." Cairo mentions cautiously.

I smile at him, "Don't worry, nothing hurtful."

The Yuvana stands as well, slowly.

"Remind me, why were you here before?" She asks.

Cairo answers for me, "Lina and I were following Monika. She brought the soldiers we rescued through here from the Gricadan mountains."

After hearing it out loud, I see what my former mentor is getting at.

"Nadra knows about this place." The words scratch across my tongue as spiked metal barbs.

Cairo pales, looking sick to his stomach.

"If Nadra gains access to the power of this water..." The Yuvana trails off fearfully. I think this is the first time I've ever heard her not finish a sentence.

Our fear echoes around the room, seeping into the magic in the air. Screaming across the water and bouncing from wall to unseen wall. A low vibration builds beneath our feet, causing the water to tremble and my balance to become unsteady. The shaking continues, steady and all encompassing. The walls around us start to close in. The water starts to disappear, draining through some invisible conduit. The glow should be fading as the water recedes, but the enclosing walls seem to have taken on a shimmer of their own. The shaking gets more intense,The Yuvana drops to the floor and I lose my footing. Cairo follows soon after, nothing but a quiet splash and a groan. I roll into a ball to protect myself, expecting pieces of rock to start falling any minute.

I wait in terror, as the world breaks apart.

And then, the world stops.

The quaking halts in a violent, single breath. I lift my head, slowly. After nothing falls and breaks my head, I decide it would be safe to sit up.

I look around me in utter shock. The cavernous walls have shrunk in on themselves so that the ceiling hangs only three feet above my head and four arms width's would reach from wall to wall. The glowing water is now in condensed into a bottomless pit in the center of the floor.

And there is only one exit.

"What happened?" Cairo asks as he helps me stand.

I look around in amazement, still not quite believing.

"I-I think the cave rearranged itself so Nadra would not be able to get here." I answer.

"The walls decided to move?"

I nod, "I believe they responded to our fear."

"Amazing." The Yuvana marvels.

"I wonder if it would move if I asked it to." I mumble.

As if in answer, the rumbling starts again and stairs appear on the edge of the water pool.

"Amazing." Cairo echoes.

"Can you do it again?" The Yuvana asks.

Before I can try, Summerhunt comes barreling into the cave, drenched in sweat.

"Adelina, one of Monika's spies just arrived at the gate. He says Nadra is on her way here. With every Skevetic soldier left in the country."