Jay - Ahern's Burden

Arina’s gentle melody softly penetrated the outer walls of the house. It traveled from the porch until it made its way through the main room and ended on the ears of her sleeping father.

Barclay rolled onto his back and soaked in the quiet music while he looked at the ceiling. He could hear Nuvi in the kitchen and thought to help but decided against it. She would want him off his feet. He took in a deep breath and tapped his finger on his chest to the rhythm of the violin.

Footsteps in the hallway told him that Jay had been awake for a while. He knew his brisk pace and could decipher who moved past his bedroom by the way they walked. An observatory skill he had not used in a long time.

When Jay sat down, Barclay tuned his ears back to the violin. His mind soon strayed from the music and he began to think deeply of the time he had missed. Jay’s question about staying rolled around in his mind and he found it more difficult to justify leaving.

Gradually, the sweet aroma of breakfast entered Barclay’s room. He pushed up from his bed and stretched. The aroma grew in potency and he dressed for the day.

Jay sat on the couch with a quill and some ink.

Barclay walked to Nuvi and kissed the back of her neck. She turned and smiled at him and pointed to the other couch. He felt fine but didn’t want her angry at him this early in the morning and followed her instructions.

“What are you reading?” he asked, sitting across from Jay.

“I decided to study the methods instead of reading about them,” Jay said. “That way, I can try them out until I find the one that works.”

Barclay nodded and turned his head to the side to watch Arina play through the window.

“Jay, will you have Arina come inside?” Nuvi asked. “Breakfast is ready.”

Jay nodded and marked his place. He put his hands on his lap and bowed his head with his eyes open.

Barclay caught Jay’s odd behavior out of the corner of his eye. He had never disobeyed Nuvi. He looked to Nuvi and back to Jay. What is he doing?

When Barclay opened his mouth to inquire, Jay disappeared. He looked over to his wife who apparently had no interest in what just happened.

Behind him the music stopped. After a few footsteps, which Barclay knew were his daughter’s, the front door opened and Arina came inside, followed by Jay.

“Good morning father,” Arina said, giving him a kiss on the cheek.

The two walked straight into the kitchen.

“Can I help?” Arina asked her mother.

Jay took his seat at the table.

Barclay knew Jay could teleport but the ease at which he did it caught him by surprise.

Nuvi had Jay bring the small pot off the fire and she began dividing the portions into smaller bowls.

“Care to join us, Barclay?” Nuvi asked.

Barclay nodded and rose carefully before joining them at the table.

“I thought you didn’t like teleporting?” Barclay asked Jay.

“It still makes me nervous,” Jay admitted, “but if what you said is true, I need to overcome my fear.”

“How did you learn?”

“By doing it over and over again,” he said.

Jay leaned towards the steaming bowl of breakfast Nuvi placed in front of him and took in the aroma.

“I woke early,” he said, “and practiced going from corner to corner.” He blew away the steam and took his first mouthful. “Then I went to the front porch and into the garden.”

Barclay nodded.

“He’s good,” Nuvi said. “I asked him to fetch me some wood for the fire and come back as quickly as he could. He was very fast.”

“I had a good teacher,” Jay said.

“Too bad I won’t be able to show you anymore.”

The room fell silent at Barclay’s comment.

“Is there a way to fix it?” Nuvi asked.

“It’s beyond me,” Barclay admitted.

Again, the room fell silent until Jay finished and declined seconds. “Not today. I’m going to study.”

“And I’m going to practice,” Arina said.

Barclay and Nuvi watched as Jay returned to his book and Arina to the front porch. They said nothing until their daughter’s gentle music penetrated the house.

By midday, Jay had made his way through a good portion of his mother’s book, scribbling notes and asking questions Barclay could answer half the time. His only break came during lunch, which he extended by taking a good nap. After his nap, he continued to read all the way up until dinner, and before they went to bed, he again practiced teleporting across the room and then into the different bedrooms.

Arina had spent the afternoon in the garden and went to bed after dinner. The sun wore her out and left the three alone to discuss what Jay had learned and what he needed to do to get his father’s journals.

“Let me read you a portion,” Jay said to Nuvi.

She was excited to learn about cryptography.

Jay found his mark. “Writing codes is about making your enemy think he’s found what he’s looking for, only to have your true intent hidden.”

Barclay nodded. “Correct. You want your enemy to go in the wrong direction.”

“Has Barclay told you about my mother’s poems?”

Nuvi shook her head.

“I haven’t written them down yet,” Jay confessed, “but I know them by heart. There are five.”

Nuvi snuck a glance at Barclay.

Barclay raised his hands. “He knows them word for word.”

Jay recited each of his mother’s poems in a crisp tone.

“I like the last one,” Nuvi said. “You think she’s hidden a message in them for you to find?”

“We don’t know,” Barclay admitted. “The poems are the only writings that carry her initials. We have to assume that she put them in her husband’s journals for a reason.”

“Or to mislead you,” Nuvi said.

Barclay gave her a glance.

“I hope you figure it out,” she said, smiling at Jay. “I’m off to bed. Barclay, you need to rest too. Don’t stay up too late, Jay.”

“I won’t,” he answered. “But I am going to finish this chapter.”

The next morning Barclay found Jay in the same spot on the couch, studying.

“I’ve been thinking about your accomplishments,” he said. “What do you say to teleporting to Taq today?”

“Today?” Jay asked with uncertainty.

“What is your biggest fear about teleporting?”

“Not making it to my destination,” Jay said, “and not being able to return.”

“But you’ve done that,” Barclay pointed out. “You’ve gone outside, into the garden and into the rooms. Each time you’ve been able to return.”

“That’s different,” Jay protested.

“How?” Barclay asked.

Arina stopped helping Nuvi with breakfast to listen to their conversation.

“The distance,” Jay said. “Going from here to a bedroom in the same house is different from here to Taq.”

“In teleporting,” Barclay explained, in a clam voice. Jay thought about what he meant but didn’t respond. “I understand going to a place you’ve never seen before would be difficult, and in most cases, impossible to have the best result, but, you’ve lived on Taq. You’ve lived in this house for more than a decade. You are familiar with each. Someone with your skill should be able to teleport back and forth easily without fear of failure.”

Jay hung on his words. He looked to Nuvi and Arina and saw their agreement in their faces.

“You think I can do this?” he asked as a general question to everyone.

“Yes,” Barclay answered.

“Without a doubt,” Nuvi responded.

“I know you can do it,” Arina chimed in.

Jay felt an uncomfortable pressure. He knew he could teleport, and he had strengthened his technique in the last few days. He felt like they thought he had a gift, some illusive ability that only he had mastered. Now he felt like he would be a failure if he didn’t teleport to Taq.

“Let me practice more before I go,” he said trying to buy some time.

Barclay nodded.

“Breakfast is ready,” Arina proclaimed.

Jay bounced off the couch to help. He needed to take his mind off the terror he would go through later. Jay’s stress level spread across the table during the meal. So much, that when he excused himself, no one spoke a word until they were finished.

“Do you think he’s ready?” Nuvi asked Barclay when she joined him on the couch.

“He may not know it,” Barclay said, “but he is deceptively talented.”

“Yes, but he needs to know that.”

Barclay nodded. “This one is difficult. I can’t show him how or walk him through the process. He needs to take the first step.”

“This is a big step,” Nuvi pointed out.

“He has to do it if he ever wants to get back to Taq,” Barclay said. “Few people know about it and none have been there in person.”

“He seems upset,” Nuvi said. “He’s never left the table without thanking me for the meal.”

“He’s nervous.”

“Should I talk with him?”

“It wouldn’t hurt,” Barclay said.

Nuvi rose from the couch and knocked on his bedroom door.

“Yes?” Jay answered.

“It’s Nuvi, may I come in?”

“Yes.”

Tentatively Nuvi entered Jay’s room and closed the door behind her. Jay was sitting up his bed, looking at the ceiling.

“How do you feel?” she asked.

“Scared,” he answered. “Scared that something bad will happen.”

Nuvi sat on the side of the bed and faced him.

“I feel like everyone will think I’m a failure if I don’t go.”

“Jay, you will never be a failure,” Nuvi insisted. “I think you are a wonderful young man.”

Jay gave a slight nod, but it didn’t cure his twisted stomach.

“What do you need from Taq?” she asked.

“My father’s journal,” Jay began, “I have other books and I would like to bring a change of clothes.”

“I can replace the clothes.”

“I know,” he said, “but I have one other item you cannot replace. Do you know of the box I brought back from The Hall of Sispo?”

“Oh yes,” Nuvi said when she remembered Barclay’s story.

“Barclay is not the first to tell me that I have talents,” Jay continued. “For a long time, I thought everyone could do what I do or what Barclay can do. I’ve never thought myself special. And I like to be quiet. I don’t know why people are chasing me. I don’t know why my parents were taken. I don’t know why or how I can do the things I’ve done. I just do them.”

Nuvi watched him, unable to offer a response.

“Finding the box gave me a direction,” he said. “I don’t know how it works. I tried to open it for a month and failed. My mother’s poems and book have given me some hope, but what if they don’t help me? Or what if I’m unable to understand what everyone is trying to tell me?”

Nuvi sniffed and wiped her eye. “I do not have the answers you seek, Jay, but I do know there is a purpose for everything. You are talented, and in days past, when men had talents such as yours, they were chosen to do amazing things, good and bad. Even though you have great talent, it doesn’t mean you can’t be your own master. You can follow our own path if you wish. But I don’t believe your parents wanted you to walk in the dark. As you’ve grown, they’ve given you hints. As you’ve matured, you’ve found subtle clues. I think they want you to know why you have such abilities. I think they know where they came from and what you are to do with them.”

“How do you know?”

“Because,” Nuvi said, looking in the direction of the violin coming from the front porch. “I would do the same for my daughter.”

“You think my parents know where my powers come from?” he asked.

“I do,” she said with confidence. “And I believe they want you to know as well.”

Jay did like the idea that his parents were guiding him, still trying to teach him despite not being beside him.

“Again,” Nuvi stressed, “you are your own master, but if you want to discover the meaning of this riddle, you will have to go to Taq someday. And though you may not think as I do, I believe you are ready. I believe you want to go.”

“I do,” Jay admitted, “but…”

“What is it?”

“I’m afraid,” Jay said looking at his hands, “I might lose my family again if something goes wrong.”

Nuvi’s heart broke and she could not hold back her tears. She cared for him, and to know that he thought of them as his family touched her deeply.

“Thank you,” Jay said when they heard a knock on the bedroom door.

“Yes?” Nuvi asked.

“Are you well?” Barclay asked.

Nuvi smiled at Jay and wiped her eyes several times. “We are fine. I’ll be right out.”

She took in a deep breath and stood up. “Whenever you are ready. This is your decision.”

Jay smiled back at her and she left the room.

He sat on his bed the rest of the afternoon, occasionally teleporting into the corners and in front of the bed. When Nuvi and Arina had completed their gardening, Jay joined them all in the main room.

“I’ve made a decision,” he said.

Nuvi closed the front door and Jay waited for them to have a seat.

He was fully dressed, like someone about to leave on a trip, with two empty sacks over his shoulders. “I’ll grab only what I need and come back.”

“You’re leaving?” Arina asked.

Jay nodded. “I thought about what your mother said, about my parents wanting me to know. I think they’ve been trying to tell me a lot more than I know. I can’t stop.”

“Don’t linger,” counseled Barclay. “Once you have what you need, concentrate, and come back.”

Jay nodded. “Anything you want?” he asked.

“An orange would be nice,” Barclay said.

“Just come back,” Nuvi answered.

Arina sat quiet, unsure of what to say.

“I’ll come back right here,” he said pointing down. “I won’t be long.”

He met their eyes one at a time and vanished.

Nuvi looked at Barclay.

“He’ll be right back,” he said, grabbing her hand.

Jay remembered what he found the most difficult to adjust to when he teleported with Barclay, and that was the change in weather. He forgot about the uncertainty. He knew Taq’s weather would be warmer, but he could not predict the powerful winds or the pouring rain.

Immediately soaked through, Jay ran for the shelter of their underground home.

“Ignire,” Jay said, once he made it down the stairs. He stripped his outer layer of clothing and shook them out before hanging them over the back of a chair. The small room became brighter and he shook his head to remove the excess water. He took in a deep breath when the reality of where he stood hit him. He made it. He had done what he thought impossible. He had teleported across the world in the blink of an eye. In the solitude of his cave home, he screamed with pleasure and relief.

“Stop complaining,” he said, punching his chest.

He gathered his wits and grabbed his father’s journals as well as the box and put them on the table in the study. He then collected several books he wanted for Nuvi and Arina. He grabbed every piece of clothing he could find, whether they were his or Barclay’s and organized them onto separate piles on the table.

Outside the sky split apart on thunderous booms and brilliant flashes of lightning.

He packed his items and put on dry clothes. Next time, he thought, I’m teleporting down here.

He strapped his sacks around his shoulders and was about to leave when he remembered Barclay’s request.

The orange, he thought.

Barclay’s favorite fruit grew in abundance on the surface. Jay thought about leaving and explaining to him how the weather prevented him from being outside, but he couldn’t do it. Barclay had been through a lot and he wanted to do him this small favor.

He unstrapped his bags and took off his dry clothes down to his undergarments. He started to walk up the stairs when he remembered his new strength. He could teleport to the orange trees, pick a few, and come right back. He knew where the trees were, and this would be much easier than running through the storm. I might not even get wet, he thought.

Jay walked to the middle of the room and thought about the trees. He heard a noise in a dark corner that distracted him. He looked hard but couldn’t see anything. He didn’t like to be alone and the realization of just how alone he was, bothered him. He wanted to get back to Boon. He again thought about the trees, and before anything else could distract him he teleported onto the surface.

The winds grabbed him first and pushed him down onto the wet grass. The pelting rain prevented him from seeing anything. He knew the orange tree was in front of him but as he grabbed its branches he found them empty. The winds had ripped off everything. He squinted to the next tree and saw nothing different, except a root half out of the soil. He stumbled towards the last orange tree and saw a fully ripe orange clinging to a small, violently swinging branch. He hurried over and ripped the orange off when he lost his footing and fell onto his back.

He covered his face to protect it from flying debris when the wind suddenly stopped. Surprised, he looked around and sat up. The other fruit trees were also stripped of their produce. Then from above him, the sun began to penetrate the clouds until it warmed his wet skin with its unabated rays.

Jay stood up and thought it odd the storm had stopped so quickly. He began walking back to the entrance when the sun darkened, and a stiff breeze collided with the far side of the isle. The wind moved across the ground so fast, Jay didn’t have time to teleport underground before it hit him.

When Jay appeared next to his bags the wind he brought with him blew out most of the candles.

“Ignire,” Jay said, giving himself enough light so he could dry off, dress, and prepare to leave. The breeze coming from outside was stronger than when he first arrived, and its powerful gusts were traveling through the cave, putting the candles out one at a time. Jay had everything he came for, and when the last candle turned dark he appeared back in Nuvi’s main room.

“You’re back,” Barclay said with a cheer. His smile washed away when he saw Jay’s wet disheveled hair. “What happened?”

Nuvi and Arina came into the room and were equally surprised at his exhausted appearance.

Jay shook the water away, adding to the large pool gathering on the floor around him. He stepped to Barclay and reached inside his coat. The large orange was fully ripe. He placed it in his hand. “I was lucky the storm left us one.”

“How do you feel?”

“I am well,” Flog admitted. The pain in his calf had all but disappeared.

“I apologize for Inga’s persistence, but she does know medicine.”

An extra day of rest didn’t bother Flog. He would stay in bed for another if it were required. “I am in her debt.”

Ponter nodded. “She has helped ease the pain of all of us over the years.”

“Do you ever see anyone come through?” Flog asked.

“Hardly,” Ponter admitted. “On occasion we get a stray, but we carry weapons for the wild animals, not the people.”

Ponter and Flog walked through the empty streets at a casual pace. He had no anxiety about where they went or how much noise they made.

“I’ve heard stories of muggings and murders,” Flog said. “I was led to believe Nasje was a dangerous place.”

“Thugs may roam the forests, but they don’t come into the city.”

“What of the treasury?” Flog asked. “Don’t you fear someone would come looking to get rich?”

“That may yet happen,” Ponter admitted, “but we’ve never been able to find the treasury.”

“You’ve never been to the treasury?”

“We’ve searched through the main buildings from time to time,” Ponter explained, “but we are commoners. None of us would know where to start.”

Flog nodded and the two fell silent until they reached the broken courtyard.

“This way,” Flog said, “through the side entrance.”

Ponter nodded and struck his flint stones. He handed the first torch to Flog before lighting the second.

Flog led him through the dark halls until they reached the open door to the records vault.

“I never sealed the door,” Flog said under his breath.

“The door was locked when I found it,” he explained. “The records had not been disturbed.”

Flog walked in first.

“It’s unclear as to what order the records were placed here, but I will go through them one at a time.”

“This is amazing,” Ponter said in Awe. “How did you know they were here?”

“I didn’t,” Flog admitted. “I am surprised the room is still in one piece.”

“You misunderstood my question,” Ponter said. “How did you know this room was in this corridor, on this floor?”

“My father brought me through the city when I was a young boy,” he said, picking at a few pages of loose parchment. “We never had a reason to open the door. I believe he thought it empty.”

“And you’re looking for a document explaining how the war started?”

“If one exists,” Flog said, gently sliding out the stack onto his forearm. “It’s too dark down here, but we can take them upstairs to read in the day light.”

“May I help you study?” Ponter asked.

“Please,” Flog said. “I welcome the help.”

Ponter stepped back and let Flog come into the hall. He grabbed his own stack of parchment and followed Flog up the stairs.

“Unfortunately,” Flog said, laying down his parchments on his makeshift table, “many of the pages will be illegible.”

“Yes,” Ponter said, “Much like this one.” He held up a small faded page.

“Hold it towards the light,” Flog instructed. “The sunlight helps to highlight the ink.”

Ponter turned toward the sun and made out a few words. “Not much to go on,” he said.

“Most I have read had less.”

“This has some dark letters,” Ponter said.

He repeated the process and read the page. Flog went through his own stack and before long they had gone down to fetch more. After a few hours they made good progress but failed to find the evidence with regards to how and why the war started.

“You are fortunate,” Barclay responded when Jay told him about the storm. “Hurricanes are not forgiving.”

“They sound awful,” Nuvi said.

“Powerful winds mixed with an unbalanced sea usually mean death if you’re caught on the water.”

Jay had put everything he brought back on the floor in front of him.

Barclay had peeled his orange and divided it evenly between the four of them.

“I have the journals, the box, and some extra books,” he said. “This one is for you, Nuvi. It tells the history of the Trykinian kings and how they came to power.

“Arina, this is for you,” he said handing her a thick long book. “If I remember, it has some sheet music within its pages and it explains the difference between different styles of music.

“Barclay, I brought you some more clothes.”

“And the orange,” he said raising the peelings. “It’s too bad about the rest.”

“All the fruit is gone?” Arina asked.

“Everything was gone from the trees I saw,” Jay said. “There may be plenty on the other trees. I can go back in a few days, once the storm has moved on.”

Barclay looked at Nuvi. They knew Jay had overcome his teleporting issues.

“I’m going to read my new book,” Arina said, giving Jay a hug. “Thank you.”

“I’ll go through the journals again,” Jay said. “Barclay, will you help me?”

“I need him to help me go through these clothes,” Nuvi said before Barclay could agree.

“I’ll help you later,” Barclay said, collecting the two piles.

Jay nodded and took his items to the table. He flipped to a previously marked page and began reading.

Nuvi and Barclay went into their bedroom.

“Close the door,” Nuvi whispered.

Barclay put the clothes on the bed and did as he was instructed.

Nuvi sat on the bed, unsure of how to begin.

“What’s on your mind?” Barclay asked.

“Many things,” Nuvi admitted.

“Start with one.”

Nuvi took in a deep breath. “I had a good discussion with Jay earlier today.”

“Yes,” Barclay said, remembering. “You had a teary face when you came out of his room.” He sat down on the bed next to her. “What did you talk about?”

“A few things,” she said, “but they revolved around how much he thinks of us as his family.”

Barclay nodded but didn’t say anything.

“He didn’t say it,” she continued, “but I think he wants to stay.”

Again, Barclay nodded. “He expressed a desire to stay last night.”

“And?” Nuvi pressed. “What did you tell him?”

“I told him the danger we put you and Arina in by staying is too great.”

Nuvi looked like someone had put a heavy weight on her shoulders.

“And we would be leaving as soon as I have healed.”

“Does Arina know you’re leaving again?”

“I haven’t said as much, but I thought she knew.”

“She misses you, Barclay. She needs her father.”

Barclay stood and walked to the foot of the bed with his hands behind his neck. “Jay was disappointed when I told him we were leaving.”

“Surely you know why?”

Barclay nodded. “I do. And last night I didn’t sleep well because of it.”

“He wants a family,” Nuvi said. “We can give him what he wants, but you have to stop hiding.”

“You’re not worried about someone seeing him do something extraordinary and turning us in?”

“That may happen,” Nuvi admitted, “but he is thirteen years old, and will be on his own in a few years. Don’t you want to give him some stability?”

Barclay looked at the pile of clothes on the bed.

“What if it were our daughter,” Nuvi went on, “living with a caretaker? Wouldn’t you want her to have a family around her if it were a possibility?”

“Yes,” Barclay answered.

“Why is this different?”

“You know why.”

“I understand the dangers,” Nuvi said, “I have seen what the Idols can do, but I do not want to isolate him again. I want him to know what it’s like to have people around him that care for him. That care for each other. I don’t want him to live in the shadows.”

Barclay walked around the bed and faced his wife. “The truth is I’ve been trying to justify a way for us to stay.”

“You have?”

“Yes,” he said, looking over his shoulder. “Jay has been more relaxed since we’ve been here. Arina’s smile is infective. I’ve found how much I need to be with you. Jay can get what he needs.” Barclay paused. “It’s about your safety.”

The two shared a look.

“My sole reason for leaving is to keep you safe,” Barclay said. “Do you want me to put you at risk?”

Nuvi didn’t say anything. She knew her husband did what he did with her interests in mind.

“Can you let him choose?” she asked. “I am at peace with my decision.” She held Barclay’s gaze. “Will you be?”

“If this is what you want,” he said sitting on the bed. “Then this is what we should do.”

“Oh, Barclay,” she said, walking around the bed and embracing him. She buried her head in his chest and began to sob. “I’ve missed you so much.”

Barclay held her tight. Neither spoke until she pulled away and wiped her eyes.

“We need to tell them.”

Barclay nodded.

“Not this instant,” Nuvi protested. “I look horrible.”

“I’ll hold my tongue,” he said. “Come out when you’re ready.”

Barclay exited the room and sat on the couch, across from Arina. He watched her browse through her new literature. Jay sat at the kitchen table, flipping back and forth between journals, searching his mother’s poems. He watched them in silence.

Nuvi came in and sat next to Barclay.

“Jay, will you join us?” Barclay asked.

Jay nodded and marked his page before walking to the couch.

“I know you two are excited about your new readings,” he began, “but what would you say to us taking a walk?”

The question caught everyone by surprise.

“A walk?” Jay asked.

“Yes,” Barclay answered, “a nice stroll to the bridge.”

Even Nuvi didn’t know how to respond.

“Oh,” he continued, “I promised our neighbors I would visit them when I moved back. And I have.”

Nuvi caught on to his game and smiled at her daughter.

Jay kept his assumptions in his head.

“Are you staying, father?”

Barclay nodded.

“Permanently?” Jay asked.

He nodded again.

“The sun is out,” he said. “I presume there will be many to visit with if we hurry.”

Arina jumped across the room and landed in her father’s lap. She threw her arms tight around his neck.

“I am so happy,” she said, sliding to his side, beaming. Then, she looked over to Jay.

“Is Jay staying with us?” she asked.

“That choice is left to him,” Barclay said. “He can go on his accord is he wishes, but I, we, would have him stay.”

“Stay with us, Jay,” Arina pleaded.

The freedom Barclay offered caught Jay off guard. He had no desire to leave Barclay or his family. He looked away from Arina and to Barclay and noticed the slightest snicker.

“If I may,” Jay began, playing Barclay’s game. “I would be more than happy to stay with you for as long as you would have me.”

Nuvi shook her head. You two, she thought. “Jay is staying with us.”

Arina looked relieved.

Nuvi waved Jay over.

He sat down, and she put her arm around him.

“Who wants to take in some sun?”

Nuvi knew Barclay had become more stable the last few days and approved of the outing. But insisted he take a cane.

“I’m not an old man,” he protested when she put the cane in his hand.

“Use the cane or we are staying home,” she said. “You’ve promised Arina a walk. Do not disappoint her.”

Barclay pursed his lips and practiced a few laps around the table. Once Nuvi was satisfied, they walked to the main road and talked with two gentlemen before reaching the gorge. From there they met dozens of families that were eager to welcome him home.

The reception he received brought Nuvi to tears. Her husband was home.

Everyone gave Jay and Barclay a warm welcome.

They stayed most of the afternoon, shaking hands and hugging. Before they returned home, their neighbors decided to have a celebration in two weeks with a welcome home feast.

Barclay tried his best to decline but once they offered, his neighbors ignored his protests and spoke to Nuvi about dividing the responsibilities. Once home, the family had a simple dinner and Arina excused herself early.

“Too much excitement,” Nuvi told Jay when she came back into the kitchen.

“You’ve had a full day as well,” Barclay reminded Jay. “The journals are not going anywhere, you should rest.”

Jay nodded. “I will in a moment. I have a few more pages I want to look at.”

Barclay and Nuvi left Jay alone and prepared for bed.

“Candela Segreto,” Jay hushed to himself hours later. “The ability to hide text within or on top of other letters.” Jay skipped over how to perfect the technique, reading on about how to decipher a message. ‘The secret is revealed when candlelight from a wick spun by the Matian Elders is joined by wax formed with crystal power harvested from the Etherin Mines. The wick encases crushed pearls from the East Sea and the combination enables the wicks to burn for many years. Still unknown is how the crystals and pearls interact, but when used in conjunction the Matian Elder’s wicks reveal the hidden properties of rare vanishing ink, used by the Ondorian Clergy. Furthermore, the ink is not revealed unless viewed through the reflection of a mirror.’

Jay read through the instructions again and put his mother’s book down. He brought the candle closer and inspected the wick.

He had never studied different types of candles or wicks or inks, and he didn’t know what type of wick burned at his table. He shrugged and removed the small mirror off the wall. After he pressed down the spin of the journal to keep the pages flat, he held up the page containing one of the poems. He set the candle behind the journal and held the mirror in the back. He squinted to focus on one letter at a time, hoping to see a message jump off the page.

The poem he looked at contained seven verses, and he was able to scan them easily. Disappointed the letters weren’t revealing their secrets, he rubbed his eyes and thought the technique ineffective.

One more look before bed, he thought.

He pulled the candle and mirror closer to the book and looked again. And again, he saw no special text.

He picked his head up and looked at the book, the candle and the mirror. His mind stuck on the last item. Mirrors show the opposite of what you see, he thought.

He looked at the candle and knew it would show the same view regardless if he used a mirror or not.

Is it the book?

Jay flipped the page back and forth in his hand. Opposite, he kept thinking, opposite. He spun the book around, so he looked at the page behind the poem. The pages were thick enough to where he couldn’t see the letters on the opposite page even with a candle. He pulled the candle and the mirror closer so all three were touching and stared hard for a third time.

Jay knew where the poem sat of the page and studied the area opposite his mother’s words when the outline of four bold letters faded into view. Jay checked the other side and confirmed the location of the poem and looked again.

On the page, Jay made out two Y’s, one K, and an E.

“It worked,” he said under his breath, not believing his eyes.

Jay quickly scribbled down the letters and grabbed another journal. After finding the page he repeated the process and found other bold letters fading onto the page.

“It worked,” he said louder, not caring about the hour. Then, unable to hold in his excitement, he yelled at the top of his lungs.