He shakes his head. “Dreams change things . . . memories don’t. Lyneva died at night.”
Geo appears from around the corner of the room. “If I can jump in here . . .”
“Are all of you in the hall listening?” I ask.
One by one everyone sticks their head in the room and comes forward with a sheepish grin.
Geo continues, “He did something.”
“Navin?” Arek asks.
“Possibly . . . but more than likely Japha. Gyre taught me the ability to change one’s memories and I’m not sure that Navin would have that ability yet. You must try again if things continue to change. It’ll take some time to sift through the layers,” Geo explains.
“How will I know if it’s real?” I ask quickly.
“You’ll know. It’s the same with any dream, Willow. You must force it to tell you the truth. Question everything as you go through the memory. You ultimately know what truly happened. Force your brain to let you in.” Geo crosses his arms.
In just moments we are back again. Arek sends me faster and more aggressively into the recesses and the speed through the darkness is a bit easier now. The gray carpet with the white furniture appears. The sun burns my neck until I turn around and stare at the window even though it forces me to squint.
“No sun . . .” I whisper. “There is no sun.”
Suddenly a large rumble like a roar from the belly of the earth begins outside, and an instant steady rain drums the roof. The sky unnaturally rolls into darkness like I’ve never seen before, like the lights to the world are turned off. Flashes of lightning rip across the charcoal sky followed by the grumbling thunder. The living room is lit by a silver lamp in the corner of the room.
“Gray carpet . . . white furniture . . .” I pay attention to everything. This time I hold a blood-covered knife. I shake my head. “It hasn’t happened yet.” I shut my eyes. “It hasn’t happened yet.” Before I open them, I hear the quiet sound of talking—two feminine voices not far away. I am adjacent to Elizabeth and Lyneva, who glare at each other. Their standoff confuses me.
“Lyneva, the council trusted you to make those decisions and you led them into a slaughter.” For the first time, Elizabeth’s elegant body looks sinewy and stiff as she yells.
“Please tell her you didn’t do it,” I urge my mother.
“Trying to find the compromise between the Rebellion and the Powers is not betrayal, Elizabeth,” Lyneva retorts.
“Children died,” Elizabeth cries out. “People lost their lives because you told Japha and Navin everything.”
Lyneva turns to me. “None of this is true. Those people died because of their stupidity.”
“I have proof.” Elizabeth pulls papers from a bag.
“What are those?” Lyneva asks with concern.
“Letters between you, Navin, and Japha. You planned the death of thousands of Ephemes. Who knows how many of these massacres you’ve orchestrated?”
I look at Elizabeth in horror, then back at my mother. “Is any of this true?” I ask.
Yet Elizabeth won’t let Lyneva speak. “I saw all of them. The morning after I walked in on you with Japha and Navin when Briston was gone . . . I hired someone to find out what it was you were up to. I knew something was wrong. Japha and Navin had a hold on you.”
“Mom,” I beg, “tell her this isn’t true.”
Lyneva is silent as she looks me over. There is nothing genuine behind her eyes but rage.
Still Elizabeth presses again. “So many people died at the Red Summit—innocent people who didn’t deserve to die.” Elizabeth hands the papers to me, but Lyneva knocks them out of my hand so they scatter far and wide.
“Why?” I ask. “Navin and Japha want to turn on everyone! They don’t care about any Velieri, they would kill Velieri if they didn’t agree with them.”
“That’s not true,” Lyneva says calmly.
“It’s true enough that you’re protecting them.” I gather the papers.
“Remy, we can’t hide anymore. Let’s be free. Forget the Powers, the Prophets, Ephemes, and anyone else who wants to tear us down and bind us to a life of never speaking of who we are,” Lyneva pleads.
“I believe in that, too.” My voice finally rises in defense. “I want that. Yet there must be a way to do this without hate and murder. I’ve told you . . . I’m trying to find a way.”
Lyneva shakes her head, the morose thoughts written in her creased forehead. “No, there is no way. The Prophecy isn’t real. Do you know what the Prophecy is?”
I am quiet, so Lyneva continues, “There is one . . . One Velieri who will be able to fuse with another. You’ve been with Arek how long? And you’ve never had a child. This One is going to bring peace between the Ephemes and Velieri? How? When they told me and your father that you were chosen I never believed them.”
Elizabeth interrupts, “You never wanted to believe them. Ever since we were kids you hated them . . . Ephemes . . . because they killed Mom and Dad. You spent so much of Remy’s life convincing her that she was not The One because it’s not what you want.”
“Why didn’t you want that?” I look at her as though this question has never been an option until now.
Lyneva cocks her head to the side, trying desperately to plead with me. “How about what you want Elizabeth? The reason that you might want to take me down. Does Remy know that you were supposed to marry Briston? Yet he fell in love with me.” Elizabeth’s objections come out in a squelched hiss, but Lyneva doesn’t stop. “You’ve never forgiven me for becoming pregnant with Remy when you wanted him for yourself—”
Elizabeth interrupts, “That has nothing to do with this.”
“It has everything to do with this! You tried to make Briston love you. But when he chose me and the Powers chose me . . . it ruined you. I’m sorry it happened. I’m sorry you weren’t enough for him.” Lyneva gauges Elizabeth with her words.
Elizabeth looks at me.
“Were you in love with my father?” I ask.
