Kilenya Series Books 1, 2, and 3, page 26
Ebony nodded. “There’s never a need to worry about her,” she said. “She and Aldo worked with Brojan to put extra fortifications on her cabin. The passage of time does not lessen their strength, nor do attacks make them weaker.”
“And that would explain why she never leaves it,” Jacob said.
“Yes, exactly,” Kenji said.
“Any other questions?” Ebony said.
Jacob shook his head. “Aside from figuring out what’s wrong with me, I don’t think so.”
Ebony scowled at him. “Jacob, nothing is wrong with you. You’re different. That doesn’t mean you’re broken.”
“We look forward to having you return once you’ve finished reading the book,” Brojan said. “You’ll find the information very valuable for a complete understanding of what has happened—and is happening—in this world. And once you’ve read the book, we’ll be able to answer any questions you might still have.”
“You’re now as much a part of this world as we are,” Kenji said.
Jacob finished off his juice and put his cup down. “All right, then. I guess it’s time for me to go home. I hoped Akeno would wake up while we were talking, but I don’t think that’s going to happen.”
Ebony smiled and patted Jacob’s hand. “He’s healed. He’ll wake up as soon as he’s ready.”
“Can I at least see him before I leave? Even if he’s asleep?”
“Of course,” she said.
Jacob followed Ebony through one of the back doors and down a narrow hall to a room with a few beds in it. Akeno lay peacefully in one, breathing steadily. Jacob smiled, looking at him. It was great to see him healthy again. If only Aloren were in such a good position. Jacob leaned against the door frame, suddenly feeling exhausted and helpless— he really, really hoped she was okay. He had to get back to Maivoryl City as soon as possible. He couldn’t stand thinking about her alone there, in that awful place. Plans to rescue her solidified in his mind. He’d do it, and he’d get Matt to help.
“Let me know right when Akeno wakes up. I’ll come visit him.” Jacob returned to the main room, grabbing Aloren’s bag. “Oh, wait, one last question. How much can I tell my family?”
“As much as you want,” Kenji said. “It was a Minya, as you know, who was sent to deliver the message letting them know where you were, and after that, I don’t think what you’ll have to say will come as much of a shock to them.” He smiled at Jacob. “It also wouldn’t hurt to have their complete support.”
“All right, off with you then,” Ebony said, opening the door.
Jacob left Akeno’s house in high spirits. He was excited to see Matt and Amberly again, and his parents when they returned. Whistling, he climbed down the wall and crossed the meadow. He paused on the way to the forest to look up at the tree, wishing he could somehow take it home with him.
At first he was jumpy about being in the forest again, but after a few minutes, when nothing out of the ordinary happened, he stopped worrying.
Jacob sighed as he walked. The trip back to his house seemed to take forever, and he had to control himself to keep from breaking into a run—wait—why couldn’t he run? He laughed at himself and took off down the path, excitement building up when he thought of his siblings eagerly awaiting his return.
He stepped out of the trees and onto the grass in his backyard, spotting Amberly playing on the swing set.
“Jake!” Amberly squealed. “You’re back!” She jumped off the swing and ran at him, almost tripping over her own feet.
Jacob laughed and dropped to his knees, picking her up as soon as she reached him. He held on to her tightly, burying his face in her curls.
“I’ve gotta show you what we made in the sandbox!” Amberly said, squirming in his arms. “And Sarah fell and got a cut on her knee!”
“She did?” Jacob said, thinking about the neighbor’s daughter. “You’ll have to show me when I see her next.” He put her down. “Where’s Matt?”
“Inside!” Turning around, she ran toward the house. “Jake’s back! Mommy! Daddy! Jake’s back!”
“Wait, Mom and Dad are home? Cool!”
Jacob had barely made it to the back porch when his mom flew through the door and hugged him, nearly knocking him over. His dad was right behind her and wrapped his arms around both of them. When his parents finally released him, Matt tackled him, knocking him to the lawn.
Jacob laughed. “Ouch! Uncle! Uncle!”
It took a minute of good-natured shoving and pushing to get up again, but soon they were walking back to the house, Matt on one side of him and his mom on the other.
“Man, I’ve got a lot to tell you guys,” Jacob said.
His mom looked at him, an intense expression crossing her face. “We were so, so worried about you, young man. You are not to leave this house for a week. And don’t you dare think about doing something like that again.”
Jacob looked at her, shocked. Getting grounded right now would be really bad. What about Aloren? “But I have—” Then he saw the smile creeping across her face, and relief washed over him. “Oh, good. I’m glad you’re teasing.”
His parents looked at him. “We were very worried,” his dad said. “And we want to hear all about it as soon as possible.”
His mom nodded. “It sounds like you became quite the hero while we were gone.”
“I’ll tell you everything. It might take a while, but I’ll definitely tell you everything.” He looked at his family. “It’s so good to be home.”
Jacob paused before entering the house, running his hand over the wood of the back door. A large grin crossed his face when he felt a familiar warmth.
Matt jabbed him in the side with his elbow. “Dude, what are you doing?”
Jacob shook his head. “Oh, nothing,” he said, satisfied.
###
Acknowledgments
First and foremost, I want to thank my family for their friendship and for putting up with me while I’ve made this dream become a reality. I love you all! Thanks especially to my husband, and to Dad, Mom, Lisa, Daniel, and Josh for reading, believing in me, and for your comments and suggestions. I couldn’t ask for a better critique group than my own family.
Second, I have to thank my amazing friends, Tristi Pinkston and Jenni James. For supporting me, being there for me when I’ve needed it, and gently encouraging me onward. I love you two so very much! Tristi, you are the super-coolest world’s best editor. :-)
Thank you to BJ Rowley for his assistance on this project. I’ll forever be grateful to you for what I learned from you and for what you did for me. A huge and heartfelt thanks to James Curwen for his hours put into the cover for The Key of Kilenya, and for making my monsters come to life with his illustrations. Thank you also to my friends over the past few years who have been monumental in my decision to become a writer, or who have assisted me with the writing in some way: Schaara Bradley, Sheena Burns, Brianna Bills, Becky Bush, Jared Dickson, Ron and Charles, the CHQ NOC engineers (Jesse, Craig, Daniel and Ron), my supervisors (Dave, Stew and Elaine), and Broalt and LeShandra Spraguelor.
Next, I’d like to thank my beta readers, because without their comments and suggestions, The Key of Kilenya wouldn’t have ever been published. Lon Pearson, Jenni Goodman, Megan Taylor, Kevin Bush, Millie and Jensen, Debbie West, Lani Nelson, my friends/readers from Authonomy: Jenni James, Jeff, Dave, and Stella. Appreciation to Margo Hammeren, Chris Olsen, their kids, and everyone else on my parents’ lists who’ve helped and supported me—I hate not being able to mention you all by name (that would take up at least twelve pages) but know that I love and appreciate what you’ve done for me.
My advanced orchestra students from my first year of teaching also need to be mentioned: Allison, Megan, Braeden, Levi, Noah, Lizzy, Savannah, Olivia, Katie, Kim, and Haylie. Thanks, guys, for your ideas for artwork, my series, and your enthusiasm for this book! (Don’t forget to practice!)
Gratitude also goes to my brother Mike, to Becky Kendall and Kendall Teichert for the sweat and blood they put into helping me get through that last awful, Leaves-a-Bad-Taste-in-Your-Mouth math class—Becky, especially, for dealing with my day-dreaming about getting published when I should’ve been doing homework.
And a big “I love you” to Steve and Mardi Nielsen—my adopted grandparents—for their loving support and friendship, and for giving me the time I needed to write and edit this book while staying with them.
Thanks to Gavin Cox and Glenn Pearson for being the world’s most stupendous, fabulous, fantastic and talented photographers, Marc and Becky Bule for the hours upon hours of late-night conversations, suggestions, and support, the Drycreek S.S. group for their continual friendship, love, and encouragement (next time I see you I’ll make sure to be toting a really big purse and will leave it where you can find it), the Saturday Second Shift-ers for praying for me, believing in me, and being there for me.
And to all my friends and family—thank you so much for your support, excitement, and help. I love you all!
And last, I express my gratitude to the people who invented music, string cheese, dried pears, the English muffin (toasted, of course), and butter—without which this book might never have been published. (Or written!)
The Ember Gods
Kilenya Series Book Two
Andrea Pearson
Copyright 2011 Andrea Pearson
Book design and layout copyright 2011 Andrea Pearson
Cover design copyright 2011 James E. Curwen
Summary: Jacob Clark’s new abilities are a blessing and a curse. He’s a hero for returning the magical Key of Kilenya to its rightful owners, but at school he's starting to get noticed for something other than his basketball skills. And the attention is freaking him out.
Balancing both worlds is tricky enough, but Jacob has tasked himself with saving Aloren who’s trapped in Maivoryl City by the Ember Gods. He doesn't want to wait for the potion that will protect his team from the corrosive influence of the Lorkon, but the desire to prove himself to the high school basketball coach conflicts with his plans to rescue her.
Feeling pulled by both sides, Jacob must walk a tightrope of warring worlds with lives on the line. Lives that will be lost if he doesn’t figure out how to complete his quest and balance his abilities. Fast.
Dedication
To my parents
For always being there
Chapter 1. He’s Awake!
“Mom, can I please stay home?” Jacob fingered a chipped spot on the door frame to his parents’ study. He held his breath, waiting for her answer. Today would be his first day as a freshman at Mountain Crest High School, and he’d been dreading it.
His mom looked up from her desk. “No.” She put her pen down. “You’re acting like you’re in first grade again. This isn’t that difficult, Jacob. Besides, your friends will all be there. Tani, Gus, Josh, and Kevin, plus Matt and his group.”
“Kevin? Great.” Jacob groaned. “I thought he was going to Logan High.”
She tilted her head. “Aren’t you good friends with him?”
“No, Mom. Haven’t been since third grade. He’s a jerk. And being Coach’s son only makes him worse.”
Jacob’s mom frowned. “Don’t talk like that, young man. Be more respectful. And you are going to school. Your education is important, regardless of what the Makalos say or need you to do.” She picked up her pen and continued what she’d been doing, signifying the end of the conversation.
The Makalos were a group of people—a race—Jacob had met two weeks ago when he’d gone through a link to a different world near his home. His adventures had been so incredible, he was having a hard time adjusting back to ordinary life.
Matt, Jacob’s sixteen-year-old brother, honked his truck horn out front, and Jacob ran to his room to get his backpack. At least he’d be able to bring the journal the Makalos had given him. That way, he’d have something to do if his classes were boring.
The drive to Mountain Crest was quiet and didn’t take nearly as long as Jacob had hoped it would. Matt parked the truck and walked ahead to meet Sammy, his girlfriend, by the door.
Jacob looked at the school—now his school. It was foreboding, almost like the Lorkon castle. He shivered, thinking about that place. He hoped he’d never have to go back. Not only was the castle dark and creepy, but his nightmares since then had come from the experiences he’d had there.
Jacob felt nearly the same amount of fear toward his school, and he couldn’t figure out why. It was just a stupid building, and the people inside were just humans.
The early morning sun was covered with dark clouds—uncharacteristic for the first week in September. Maybe an early snowstorm would hit and school would get canceled. Or maybe the building would be struck by lightning.
Jacob squared his shoulders. In the last two weeks, he’d faced more than these people would probably face in a lifetime. If he could handle a Molg and the Lorkon, he could deal with this. He strode into the school.
While searching for his locker, he finally put his finger on why going to school—not just high school—bothered him so much now. He’d almost been hoping he wouldn’t have to go back. After two weeks of people telling him he was special and would save lives . . . going to school seemed mundane. He wouldn’t be important here. He’d be just another student. Jacob sighed. Back to real life.
He found his locker and opened it, surprised it didn’t creak or need to be hit to open. It smelled like onions, though, and he sighed in resignation, putting a couple of his textbooks on the top shelf.
“Jake!”
He turned. His friend, Tani Webb, ran up to him at top speed, throwing her arms around him, nearly knocking him to the floor in her excitement.
“Summer was so long!” She drew out the “o” in “so” until she almost ran out of breath. “I really missed you! You missed me, too. Say it. Oh, you did! I can tell! Okay, so my locker’s just around the corner. Can you believe how big this place is? I almost got lost looking for the girls’ bathroom! And there’s only one in this part of the school. I mean, how ridiculous is that, you know? ‘Course, I’ve been here before—lots of times for Teegan’s games, but still.”
Jacob smiled in reply. He already felt better. Her upbeat attitude always raised his spirits when he was grouchy. He and Tani had been friends for years. Even though she lived half a mile away, she was one of his nearest neighbors and always played basketball with him and his friends. His smile disappeared when basketball crossed his mind.
“I’ve got to find Coach Birmingham. Is he here yet?”
“How should I know?” She probably hadn’t even thought of him. “What’s your first class?”
Jacob pulled out his schedule and groaned. “Math. Great. First class ever in high school, and it’s math. They must hate me.”
“Who’s the teacher, though? I’m sure not all of them are as bad as Mrs. Peterson.”
“Uh . . . Coolidge. Anyone with that name has to be cool, right? Coolidge is cool.” Jacob sighed. “Or am I just being dumb?”
“Yes. Give me your schedule.” She snatched it out of his hand. “Math, history, woodworking—good, glad you’re doing that again—lunch, science, and choir. Awesome. We have science together. And choir. You’re on your own for math, though. Should’ve taken honors last year.”
“Yeah, and get stuck with Mrs. Peterson for two classes? Not likely.”
The first bell rang and she handed back his schedule. “I’ve got history now. See you at lunch. Josh and Gus are eating with us.”
Tani practically bounced down the hall and around the corner. Jacob sighed, feeling his spirits drop again. He turned the opposite direction. He couldn’t believe math used to be his favorite class. Before Mrs. Peterson had ruined it all.
Mr. Coolidge’s messy handwriting was almost impossible to read, especially from the back of the room. Jacob sighed in exasperation as he tried to take notes. It took him nearly fifteen minutes to figure out that Mr. Coolidge—a tall, big-nosed man who dressed and looked like a member of the Italian Mafia—was lecturing about the order of operations. Jacob slumped in his seat and tuned everything out. He’d learned this over two years ago.
He couldn’t believe they’d started right off with math assignments. Coolidge hadn’t even introduced the class to his expectations for the year. Jacob stared out the window and contemplated taking a nap. Then he remembered he’d brought the journal with him. He could get in some reading. He lowered his hand to his bag, careful not to catch Mr. Coolidge’s attention.
As slowly as Jacob could, he pulled out the worn leather journal. He propped it up inside his tilted math book, facing it toward him where the teacher couldn’t see.
Finding his spot wasn’t difficult. This book only displayed the next words when the reader had internalized the last. Jacob slouched down, making sure the chalkboard was visible just over the top of the book. Then he scanned over what he’d previously read. Prince Dmitri had just rescued Princess Arien and their baby. Dmitri’s best friend, Kelson, had been killed in the process, along with many, many others in the war caused by the Lorkon.
Only one day has passed since we rescued Princess Arien and the babe. How could I have been so ignorant as to think our problems with the Lorkon would end once we completed that task? They attack on every side. I’ve only been king for a few days, and already more than half of the kingdom has been destroyed. Many are now in hiding. The Lorkon are relentless and will stop at nothing to get what they want. But what do they want? More power? Magic? Gold? Land? I cannot understand their intentions.
It has been decided that we must get Kelson’s wife and take her, and the other refugees, to safety. Hopefully we’ll find that safety in Maivoryl City, where we can shut ourselves in to withstand the onslaughts of the Lorkon.
