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  "Where are you taking me?!" I shrieked, kind of afraid. He stopped in his footsteps instantly at my frightened shout, turning around with concerned looking eyes.

  "I'm just going to take you to the bathroom so we can get the chocolate off your mouth." He offered me a small smile. "I'm not going to hurt you or anything." Staring at him for a while, I tried to figure out if he was telling the truth. After a couple of minutes I decided that he was.

  "Can you give me another shirt too? Mine has a big stain on it." I grimaced at the stain, pointing at it so he could see. He smiled broadly now, nodding his head. "What's your name?" I asked.

  He stuck his hand out to me, and I took it. "I'm Datura Lovelace. What's your name?"

  "Calycanthus Esquivel." He tried the name on his mouth, frowning a bit before he grinned down at me.

  "That's a mouthful. Is it okay if I call you Cali?"

  I smiled excitedly up at him. "Okay! Nobody has given me a nickname before!" He laughed at my giddiness, ruffling my hair. I thought about his name. "I don't think I can shorten Datura." I told him apologetically.

  "Then just call me Datura."

  ~~~~~~~~

  Falling off the bike, I winced in pain as my forearm had taken the impact. Datura quickly crouched down beside me, looking over the wound.

  "Why didn't you peddle?" He asked, wiping off the small stones that had pressed into my skin. "You are also supposed to keep your eyes open, you know." He informed. Feeling my bottom lip tremble, I turned my eyes away from him and wiped the tears off my cheeks. My pride was severely damaged.

  "Hey, are you hurt that bad?" He asked in concern. I shook my head, still not looking at him. He gripped my chin though, turning my head so our eyes could lock. "Tell me, Cali."

  "I don't know how to ride a bike." I mumbled out miserably, my vision blurry because of the big, round, watery tears.

  "Is that all?" He said, smiling widely as he wiped the tears away with his thumb. "I'll teach you." Staring in amazement because he hadn't made fun of me, I let him help me back up onto my feet and wipe the dirt off my clothes while I just stood there frozen.

  Realizing what was going on in my head he flicked the tip of my nose. "You're my best friend Cali; I'm not going to dislike you because you don't know how to ride." He picked up the bike, gesturing for me to come closer, "Come on, just sit on it and I'll hold to keep you stable. We'll do a couple of rounds where I make sure you can't fall over and once you got the hang of it, I'll let go."

  "Let go?!" I shrieked.

  "It's okay. I know you can do this." He assured.

  ~~~~~~~~

  "Cali, run!" Datura pushed me out of the front door and before I could turn around and tell him I would help him fight off the blue haired man, he'd already closed and locked it. "Run!" He repeated from inside.

  ~~~~~~~~

  "Take him, Ilex. He isn't safe with me anymore. Sage will find me sooner rather than later, and I won't allow her to get her hands on him."

  "How am I supposed to keep him safe?"

  "Make sure he doesn't find out about me or his mother until the time is right."

  "Can he at least know his name?"

  "Calycanthus. It's Calycanthus Esquivel. Now take him and go."

  ~~~~~~~~

  I screamed in fear as I saw Datura thrown through the boarding house's window, the broken pieces of glass tearing apart his back. Before I could rush to him and see if he was still alive, bright lights blinded me and as I lifted my hand to block it, I realized too late they came from a car.

  ~~~~~~~~

  "Calycanthus!" Vervaine slapped me across the face, pulling me harshly back to the present. "Did it work?" She asked, my eyes focusing on her face, the blur fading and color returning. I blinked a few times, shaking my head to make sure I was really back. "Did you see?"

  "I sure did." I answered shakily, glad to see her gloves were back on when she offered me a hand to help me back up on my feet.

  "Do you remember? Is the barrier gone?"

  I gulped. "It is."

  "How do you feel?" She eyed me curiously.

  Feeling acid trying to travel its way up my throat, I grimaced and sat back down onto the grass. "Like I was hit by the memory truck. Give me a minute."

  * * * *

  Chapter 4

  Narrator

  Five hundred years ago the Regius entered the land of the natives. Four hundred and eighty years ago their blood was turned blue. Four hundred and seventy eight years ago the Altor who would create the rebellion was born. Four hundred and sixty years ago, the war began. That war lasted up until this very day. But two hundred and ninety five years ago, the Civilians believed the war to be part of history. The exact date of this event was on the Third of May.

  The day of the eclipse.

  The day where the Regius surprised a large rebellion of Altors, who were scouting the Wastelands of Xenon, planning on ambushing the Blue Bloods. Many Altors died that day, many families destroyed, never to be revived again. Many died believing they shouldn't have, creating a Valley that holds the souls of those who do not wish to pass on. The Valley of Death.

  Only one Altor did not die. He woke, surrounded by hundreds of Altor bodies whose souls had left their harbors. The man went mad. He couldn't handle the sight.

  I've seen it. I nearly went mad myself. Of course some would say I was mad already.

  This man, who was to become Datura's ancestor, sang. Alone on the battlefield, surrounded by piled up bodies of brave Altor soldiers, he sang. A melody so bittersweet, it called to the ghosts.

  The great battle of Xenon. Not only did it create the Keepers of the Dead, a lot more happened afterwards that would nearly devastate the entire race called Altors. Because of this battle, the numbers of the rebellion was reduced to practically nothing and forced the Altors to seek their wives and husbands elsewhere. Their blood mingled with that of the Civilians and many Altor children without the extra strength were born. A vulnerability Altors couldn't really afford.

  Along with the mingled blood came the poison, the sickness that could kill the Altors. Many more died because they had no idea what to do, no idea how to remove the blue blood within and keep these children alive. Ironically, it was Maitre and Rhamnus' ancestor who found a cure.

  Not all children were killed by the Regius on sight. Unfortunately, or fortunately as it depended how you viewed it, some were brought within the Blue Blood territory to be tested on. Altors were an abnormality the Regius wished to get rid of, yet those very few, such as the ancestor, were curious. He wished to know what the disease was that helped them reduce the numbers of the Altors. Had Maitre the First never found the cure to what we call 'the poison', the Altors would have surely died out on their own. It was quite ironic to know the Altors were still very much alive and fighting the Regius as best they could thanks to a Blue Blood scientist who tested an Altor child that would become Pieris Saxton’s ancestor.

  Maitre the First figured out what it was that killed the Altors, and to test his intelligence, he began finding a cure for it. Thus the trigger came to be. Having been triggered, Pieris' ancestor got caught in an outburst, seeing red as a sign of danger for the first time, giving birth to the Altor vision. He massacred the Blue Bloods that held him captive; along with Maitre the First who'd already fathered a daughter and would then carry on the line in order to bring to life Maitre and Rhamnus.

  Getting rid of those who kept him within the claws of the Regius, Pieris' ancestor escaped and returned to his people with a cure. Pieris' ancestor was the one who befriended a man named Jen, an Altor who loved books, and was the ancestor to Jan and Jatrop Jansen. He was the one that figured out the smaller details concerning the trigger, explaining that believing you were about to die, was the only way to allow the outburst to set in. Those two together founded the Coliseum on Serenium ground and made it a safe place for Altor children to come, a place where they could trigger those kids who would die unless something was done about it. Thus came to be
the Altor Coliseum, which today could be compared to a school.

  "I need her to confirm Digitalis has gotten what I want." I blinked out of my vision when a voice could be heard behind the door that led within my conservatory. Conservatory was such a fitting quarter for me to live in. I was being conserved.

  "The only reason the army is not revolting against you, Steward, is because I order them not too. And I order them to do this because we struck a deal. Cooperating soldiers for my child's life."

  "Don't be so dramatic, Sage. She is much too valuable. I wouldn't dream of ridding the world of such a gift." Was today going to be the day my mother wouldn't be able to stop Xania Reinhardt from entering my safe zone?

  "If I let you use her the way you wish too, she might as well be dead." I heard her pause. "I have only to snap my fingers and the army will take you down. As they should have the moment you had us run and hide from the Altors!" Things were getting heated, hot enough for me to follow my mother's instructions if it ever came to that moment where Xania may push Sage aside.

  Smoothing out my clothes, I moved off the tree branch and climbed down to the first floor of my conservatory. As I passed my distillery, I lowered the fire beneath the transparent bottles with colorful liquids bubbling inside.

  "Mark my words, Sage. One day I will get my hands on your daughter." I heard the Steward growl, leading me to pause in my steps. He would leave, which meant I wouldn't need to hide in the trap beneath the floor. One of my mother's soldier's had built it years ago. Sighing, I knew what would come next, and I didn't need the gift of foresight for it.

  One, two, three...

  "Mallow!" My mother barked, throwing open the door carved into the tree I'd been lazily dozing off on earlier. "What is he talking about?!" She locked the door behind her and then went and shut all the curtains that would cover the conservatory's windows. I wondered how long she'd keep me in the darkness this time.

  "Mother." I murmured, bowing my head respectfully.

  "Don't call me that." She returned coldly, turning her sharp blue gaze on me once the room was only being lit by the distillery. "What have you seen?"

  "The Altors still believe you have the gift."

  "Not that."

  "Digitalis has kidnapped Solenum Everhart."

  "And?" She pushed. Pressing my lips tightly together, I momentarily imagined that I wasn't here. Not here with the Regius. "Snap out of it, child."

  "Soon my gift will consume me. Have you found a cure?" My voice sounded fragile to my own ears, as though death frightened me. Sage shook her head. "The Palliums are in an uproar." I finally answered. "They will grow more and more vulnerable."

  "Tell me when I am to attack them or the Altors again." She ordered, hesitating for a second before she reached out with a hand and patted my cheek.

  "I will, Sage."

  * * * *

  Chapter 5

  Calycanthus Esquivel

  It had been too long since I had just laid there, waking up at my own pace, enjoying the state where I am half asleep. My mind was in a dream, yet I could control it in a way. It was a boring dream; soldiers were training and liking it, nothing spectacular about that when you're an Altor. Yet for me it was because I hadn't had a boring dream since that barrier had been created in my mind. Now that it was gone and I remembered, the nightmares had gone too. It had been so powerful; I hadn't even been able to remember that I'd already learned how to ride a bike. I wanted to go to Lithium Village and tell Delph I remembered who'd taught me.

  Vervaine had been right to compare Datura to Solenum. We'd had a very similar dynamic. So similar in fact, it felt as though I'd tried to recreate it subconsciously. If that were true, it wouldn't change the fact that Solenum was everything to me and one day we'd see each other again. Only now I hoped that Datura would come with me.

  I assumed the feeling I got from retrieving my memories was a lot like learning how to walk. Before you take that step it's hard and scary. And then when you finally do it, you're hit by this epiphany; it's just a matter of balance. I doubt I worded it like that in my head when I actually did start walking, but that is the only way I could describe it. It's natural, but before you do it, it feels like the opposite.

  I had daydreamed many times about my memories returning to me, and had always pictured it to be grand and overwhelming. In the end it didn't feel grand at all, which I was okay with. It was like the Altor trigger. Once it was done, a missing part of you finally finds its way back and all you can do is just sort of sigh in relief and move on.

  Sitting up, I hoped that tomorrow my day wouldn't start with such intense thoughts. This meant that for one day, just for a little while, nothing intense should happen.

  I stretched myself out all the while thinking it was not something you could really expect to happen in this world.

  Looking over at the crack in the earth, Datura was still not there. It had been nearly five days now, and that didn't include the days where I was out cold in a bed in the Coliseum. Maybe the attack at the Pallium territory had been worse than Aram had said. I'd never asked Datura how long it took him to purge the Valley.

  "Vervaine said that the memory truck hit you hard and that I should let you sleep it off." The voice was amused, carefree and relaxed. Snapping my head over to the guest mat that normally held my guards, I saw that Vervaine had given her duties over the person I'd been waiting for.

  "Datura." I breathed, the exhale so strong it made me realize just how much I'd been worried.

  "How much damage has she done to you and me?" I blinked when his earlier carefree demeanor morphed into concern. Standing so I could make my way over to him, he stood at the same time, making us both halt cautiously before one another.

  "She didn't change anything." I murmured, trying to convey I wasn't lying by looking at him intently, almost pleadingly. It was true; the way I felt about him hadn't changed. Just because he was more rooted in my life, didn't change the fact that I'd wanted to kiss him before Rhamnus had interrupted, or that I couldn't stand the idea of Datura dying.

  His eyebrows raised and his shoulders relaxed a bit. "You believe her?" And then it dawned on me. He thought she'd only told me about everything, not backed it up by actually breaking down the barrier and giving me back my memories.

  I chuckled. "Well, I didn't have that much of a choice. First she nudges me about being Seer, which is where I showed signs of being reluctant to believe it and she then did certain things to make sure I couldn't second guess any of it." I took a step towards him, the distance between us little enough so that if I reached out, I could touch him. "We combined our powers to break down the barrier, Datura." I paused but then decided to spell it out. "The one created by the coal tree from the Sunken Cities and placed there by the Elders." I watched as his eyes grew wide and however stiff and unsure he had still been, disappeared. He didn't seem to know how to react though, he just stared.

  "Datura," I closed the distance, reaching up to let my hands cup his face. "I'm telling you that I remember you and everything else. I remember how we met, how close we were." I rubbed my thumbs over his cheeks, my eyes firmly fixed on his red ones. "You liked to eat your chips in pairs and when you finished the bowl and happened to end up with three remaining pieces, you'd either give me the lonely piece or when I wasn't there, you'd fill the bowl back up hoping you'd end up with pairs that time around until it was empty."

  "I still do that." His hands closed around my elbows.

  "You're ticklish under your left armpit but not your right one." I murmured. "You wanted to cut your hair when a kid in your class made fun of you, but didn't when I told you I liked it long. You hummed that same melody I always hear you humming now. Whenever I missed Jan or my parents, even if I didn't remember them, you'd take me out into the meadows and we'd count cows." Opening my eyes, I smirked. "And you're much more vulnerable and sensitive then you make yourself out to be."

  He sighed, his hands moving up on my arms. "There was a look in your ey
es, one that tells that you've gone through more than someone should. You already had it back then, Cali. It's gotten deeper now." The tip of his index finger traced the skin beneath my left eye. "I was determined to make it go away."

  "I need you to count on me as I count on you." I told him firmly. "I'm not going anywhere." He released a half sigh, but smiled all the while. I felt his arms come around me, pulling me closer so that our foreheads and noses bumped into one another.

  "Why didn't you just tell me?" I whispered. The embrace had my heart racing and my blood pumping, but however shaky I felt, I wasn't going to give it up.

  "Would you have believed me?" His voice sent shivers down my spine, and wherever his hands touched, it set my skin on fire. "I needed to have you trust me before I could reveal any of that."

  "Or find a way to break the barrier." Blood rushed up to my cheeks when his lips gently kissed the tip of my nose. "Did you know Vervaine could?" I asked shakily, finding it hard to concentrate as his mouth connected softly to my temple, my forehead, my eyelid, the corner of my mouth.

  "I didn't." He whispered. "Thank you for waiting for me."

  "Right back at you." Swallowing nervously, I tilted my head further back so I could look properly at him and with this gesture, my neck was exposed and he took advantage, placing his palm against my throat, his thumb right underneath my chin. He dipped his head down and when his lips touched my skin, my heart skipped a beat and a noise of pleasure escaped me.

  "You are not pulling away." He said against my neck.

  "Once I make up my mind, I don't change it back again." I assured him. His lips left me and his hand on my neck moved so his fingers could grip my chin.

  "You are absolutely certain you want this?" He asked. "Because if-" I cut him off by kissing him. No warning or no words, not much flourish either. The only way he could understand just how serious I was about him was if I could make him feel it. His body pressed against mine and he responded by letting the tip of his tongue slide between my parted lips. When I placed my hands on his upper arms, I had every intention of just clinging to him and let him take the lead, rather sure I wouldn’t be able to keep track of everything I was feeling right now. Instead though, this quick rush of need led me to thread my fingers into his hair, gently tugging and kissing back feverishly, tasting and teasing as much as he.