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But his antics during the day drove her crazy. “Your name is Trouble with a capital T,” she told him, almost daily. Yet he tried his best to please, especially seeking Uncle Charles’ approval. He even asked to have his hair cut short, like her uncle’s, and he looked cute with the stylish cut. So cute, it was hard to be mad at him, no matter what he did.
“I’ll retrieve him,” Kaevin offered, stretching his long muscular arms over his head as he rose from the couch. “He’s probably still asleep. He stayed up late last night watching a story on the magick box.”
As Alora opened her mouth to protest, he winked. “I know... it’s a TV.”
He disappeared down the hallway as Jireo stood, sauntering around the couch to offer his hand to Alora. “Forgive me for teasing you?”
“You’re forgiven,” she said, allowing him to pull her to her feet. But as he made to withdraw his hand, she clamped her fingers tight, and gave him a glee-filled promise. “But I won’t forget. We have a saying around here... about payback.”
“You must be nice to me, or there might not be any more secret archery and knife-fighting lessons,” he quipped, apparently undeterred by her threat.
“Quiet!” Alora checked the hallway to be certain Kaevin hadn’t overheard. “I wouldn’t need secret lessons if Kaevin would listen to reason. How is it you see the value in me learning how to use weapons, and he doesn’t?” After enduring intense torture at her father’s hand, Alora was determined never to be helpless again. “Doesn’t he realize I can’t always depend on my gift to save me? Of all people, it seems like Kaevin would be on my side.”
Before Jireo could respond, Kaevin trotted back. “Markaeus isn’t in his room. I’ve looked everywhere—in all his favorite hiding places—and no trace of him.”
“That little trickster,” Alora huffed. “He loves making me do this. But I can’t believe he’d delay eating breakfast to play his little game.” Acting on automatic pilot, Alora called on the transport power of her wander-jewel to bring her delinquent sort-of-foster-brother to her.
Nothing happened.
“What the heck?” she mumbled. Scrunching her face in concentration, she tried again. No Markaeus.
“Alora?” Kaevin moved to take her hand, his concern outlined by the furrows on his brow. “Is your gift depleted? Do you feel weak?”
“I don’t know. Let me try sending one of you somewhere.” What could this mean? Is my gift losing its power? Some of the Stone Cl
an council objected to their prolonged stay in Montana, suggesting her powers might wane in another realm.
Jireo took a step back. “No thank you. I haven’t forgotten my landing the last time you sent me away from you.”
It was true Jireo had been limping after Alora had transported him away during a battle at Laegenshire several months prior, but his reaction still stung her pride. “I’ve improved a lot since then.”
“We can easily test your gift,” said Kaevin, stepping to the kitchen door. “Alora, transport me to you.”
In a blink he stood beside her. Only then did a cold dread settle in her stomach. Again, she attempted to fetch Markaeus, as she had done every time before when Markaeus had proven his hiding skills. “Does this mean Markaeus is dead?”
“Dead?” Uncle Charles’ voice startled her. “What are you talking about?”
“We can’t find Markaeus, and Alora can’t transport him here,” Kaevin explained.
“Oh.” Charles’ bent brows relaxed. “He’s probably found an old chain in the barn and tied it around his waist. The only thing that boy likes more than eating is winning.”
“Fine. If he won’t come to me, I’ll go to him. That little squirt can’t hide from me. I’ll be back in a jiffy.”
Just as she transported to Markaeus, she heard Kaevin’s frantic words, “Alora! Wait!”
If only his warning had come a moment earlier.
**************
Kaevin paced in front of the couch where Uncle Charles slumped, seemingly relaxed and unworried. But something made Kaevin’s heart race, some unrelenting voice in the back of his mind that seemed to chant, “Danger!” It must be my imagination. Alora is fine.
Jireo had rushed outside to check the barn since that seemed to be Markaeus’ most likely hiding place.
“Why does she act without thinking?” Kaevin complained. “I asked her never to transport without me.”
“She got that from her Aunt Lena, not from me,” Charles replied with a wry grin. “She’s bound to come right back with Markaeus. Even if he were in the middle of the lake, Alora could bring them both directly back. She never messes up on that type of transport now.”
“How long has it been?” Kaevin gritted his teeth in frustration. “We’ve got to do something.”
