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k_a_webb“Do things like that really happen?” Durai asked, looking at Lucille.
“We aren’t certain.” Lucille nibbled her bottom lip. “The doors do what they want – no one has any control of them, not even the worlds, so there is always a chance that something like that might happen. Unfortunately when the doors send someone outside this Web or time they don’t come back and, although we try our best, it is hard to keep track of everyone who goes missing. Sometimes we find them, but more often we don’t, so we’re left guessing where the might have gone, which may well be another world entirely due to the way the magic of the door sometimes works.”
Meriwether nodded. “The doors were something we never knew enough about. Our lack of knowledge, unfortunately, never stopped us from doing anything, even though it should have done, and I wish that we had at least stopped to learn about our abilities before we made the mistakes that led to us having to create the Web. As we didn’t we made some of the same mistakes here, including using the doors and thinking that we would be in control of them.” He sighed. “It didn’t take long for them to prove us wrong.”
“That means anyone could step through a door and find themselves on one of the worlds the fae left behind?” Durai shuddered and Lucille didn’t blame him. “Why does anyone use them?”
Lucille glanced at Meriwether and he shrugged, so she tried to work out how to explain why they did use the doors. “For a start disappearances are rare. It happens in maybe one out of every hundred journeys. Often it only happens because someones in the wrong place or wrong time. I don’t know how the doors know where people are meant to be, but the worlds have said they’re right more times than they are wrong. They think it might have something to do with the gargoyles…” Brushing a hand through her hair she tried to work out if Durai had been there when they’d talked about the gargoyles, if it had been Sal, or if that was conversation she’d had with Peric and Bertram. “Do either of you know about the gargoyles?” She shook her head. “No, you wouldn’t because that was something I talked about with Quiar… I think.”
“You’re losing track as well.” Meriwether sounded amused. “I feel exactly the same way at the moment, because I have no idea who I’ve talked to about what, and I’m contemplating writing it all down, so I know who I still need to explain what to.”
“It doesn’t help that we’re all talking to each other and we’re talking to Quiar, so working out who said what to who is becoming much harder than it would be if we weren’t.”
“Actually, Quiar came to me a couple of nights ago and we had a long conversation about what might be coming.” He smiled. “That’s thanks to you, Lucy.”
She smiled back. “I’m glad she did.” She turned her attention back to Durai and Sal. “Do either of you know anything about the gargoyles?” The both shook their heads. “Right, the gargoyles were created by the fae in an attempt to keep an eye on the natural Moonjumpers, because they had no idea the natural doors existed. They still don’t, as far as I know, so the gargoyles only technically watch the fae created doors, although I don’t doubt they keep an eye on the others we well. Even though the fae thought the gargoyles were working on their behalf the gargoyles are actually doing their own think, like pretty much everyone else in the Web. Due to the job they do the worlds believe they have more control over the doors than anyone else, even though none of us really believe that anyone can control the doors.”
“Generally they aren’t dangerous.” Meriwether shrugged. “There is one, though, who’s said to eat anyone who goes near his door, but I’m not certain how true that story is. It’s much more likely that his door is used more by people who need to be in different places, but everyone simply assumes that he’s dangerous and keep as far away from that door as possible, including Moonjumpers who should know better.”
“There is a chance that Quiar wasn’t being entirely honest with me, but when we were talking about him she said he only eats people he doesn’t want near his door.” Lucille nibbled her bottom lip again, looking at Meriwether. “She told me I’d be safe around him. I’m not certain what would happen if any of the other Council Moonjumpers went to that door, unless they happened to be true Moonjumpers, but I think he might get rid of them to make the Web a better place.”
“How does he know, though?”
“We both know that the worlds like to talk. I don’t doubt that they talk to the gargoyles as well as us, so maybe they say certain things that help him to make his decisions.” She looked over at Durai and Sal. “Neither of you would need to worry about this. No Moonjumper goes anywhere near that door unless they have no other choice and there are always other choices. Very few people even know that door exists, as the fae have done everything they can to hide it.”
“Are you sure it isn’t the Council?” Bertram’s voice made Lucille jump as he’d been so quiet before and she smiled over at him. “I know a lot of the choices we’ve spoken about before have been made by the fae, but that sounds much more like something the Council would do, to protect Moonjumpers who don’t know any better.”
“You could be right about that, actually.” Lucille brushed her hand through her hair as she thought about who might have made the decision, although it had been made long before she was born… well, long before she’d been born into her life as Lucille. She glanced at Meriwether, knowing she shouldn’t learn about her first past life before she’d brought an end to the counterfeit ring, but it was so tempting. Their eyes met and she was certain he could tell what she was thinking from the look he gave her. “Honestly, although I learnt a lot about the history of the Web and the worlds I didn’t learn everything. It would have taken me much longer than I had to do that, but, when the time comes, I think it’s one of those things I would have known about in one of my previous lives and I’ll be able to tell you for certain then.”
“So you’ve decided then?” Bertram studied her and she wished she knew what he was thinking. “You are going to find out more about your past lives.”
“I think I am. I’m not entirely certain yet, but I do think it will help me in the future.”
“Learn about your past lives?” Lucille felt Durai’s eyes on her and she turned to look at him. “How are you going to do that?”
“There’s a ritual I know of.” Fortunately Meriwether replied so Lucille didn’t have to. “It’s one that will show the person doing it one of their past lives at a time, so they aren’t overwhelmed, in order to learn more about why you are who you are now.” He rubbed his antler. “Although it’s not something I think everyone should use there are people now who are truly ready to use it and some who might be. Both of you would be better off waiting, but Bertram… he might well be at the point where he is ready, but I think the final decision will depend on what happens in the future.”
“Everything depends on what happens in the future.” Peric’s voice made them all jump. “Until we bring an end to the counterfeit ring we can’t make any decisions, because we don’t know what might happen. Quiar is worried…”
Lucille smiled. “Quiar always worries and I am always grateful for that. Her worry is the reason she puts so much time in to talking with us, even though she can’t always tell us what we need to know. Yet I’m not going to let that change the choices that I make in the future, because as much as I love her I know she can’t know for certain what is coming. There are too many choices that haven’t yet been made.”
Peric’s eyes met with hers. “Quiar is most worried about you, Lucille, because you are the person who’s in the most danger.”
She nodded. “Unfortunately my position means I always am going to be the one who’s in the most danger, but I have you and Bertram to watch over me.”
“I’m not going to be much use.” Bertram stared gloomily as his wing. “As I won’t be able to glide again…”
“There’s always something you can do.”
Lucille turned around to find that Kaito was standing there, holding onto what appeared to be a number of charms. “What are you doing here?”
Mirrored from K. A. Webb Writing.