The Anomalies

Chapter 23

The sun trickles through the tree canopy as it rises from the east. The birds and bugs have come alive. Finally, it's time for me to get up. The others have the same idea as they all slowly rise from their sleeping positions.

Last night is still fresh on my mind, and I have no intention of forgetting about it anytime soon. I watch Mateo as he makes his way to the horses, unties them from their tree, and guides them toward the stream. This morning there's only three of them, the fourth not making it past the Aequalian soldiers. My heart aches for it as I was becoming quite attached to it.

Casper walks up next to me and smiles, "Good morning, Iris!"

"Why are you so cheery this early in the morning?"

Lady Avalon joins us and laughs, "He's always like this. I'll never understand."

I shake my head and follow them down to the stream, yearning for the day I could take a warm shower again. Splashing water in my face, I watch as Casper uses his abilities to send a wave crashing towards Lady Avalon. She hollers and retaliates by shoving him into the water.

I smile, secretly wondering if there was something more than friendship going on between the two.

"Glad to see you're in a better mood this morning."

The voice from behind me makes me jump, pulling me from my thoughts.

"Pretty sure I'm still very upset with you."

Avoiding eye contact, I turn to head back to the clearing.

"Well, you'll have to get over that. You get to share a horse with me for the rest of the Journey."

I don't respond but plan to do everything I can not to get on that horse with him. Walking would be better than being closer to him than I have to be. Casper and Lady Avalon have already made their way back to the clearing. Both on their horses, waiting for the King and me to return.

"Casper, do you mind if I ride with you for the day?"

He offers his hand to me, "Of course."

I take his hand, helping me up onto the horse. Mateo's eyes are on me as I wrap my arms around Casper's waist, holding on tight. A flicker of emotion is shown briefly on his face but is gone before I can decipher it.

The King jumps onto his horse and snaps his reins, taking off quickly. The other two horses follow suit, not missing a beat. My grip around Casper tightens, causing him to grunt.

"Iris, not so tight, or we'll both fall off this horse."

I immediately relax my grip, "I am so sorry!"

Casper laughs and shakes his head; I turn away, attempting to hide the blush growing on my cheeks.

"Don't worry, the first time Lady Avalon rode with me, she did the same thing. Cried the whole time too." He shot a wink a Lady Avalon.

She returned it with a glare, "I was five!"

I laughed, enjoying the playful banter between the two. This was something so new to me. No one ever got close to each other in Aequalis. Worried that if they said something slightly off, they'd be sent away to the Asylum.

We finally catch up to Mateo, the three horses trotting down the path side by side. I decide to speak up,

"Tell me about Cordova."

Mateo's eyes fall on me, "It's home. Nothing like Aqeualis. After the abilities appeared, we began using technology less and less. It's like we are in our own world, our own time. Honestly, I don't think anyone minds it a bit; the abilities are well worth it."

I smile, seeing Mateos love for his Country sparks something inside me. I'm almost jealous that he has somewhere to call home, somewhere he belongs.

Lady Avalon nods in agreement, "We have the most wonderful traditions. I wouldn't trade it for a thing. You're in luck, Iris; we should be back in time for Totum Fato. You'll get to see the biggest Cordovian Festival."

"Totum Fato?"

"It's the time of the year when Cordovians come of age and receive their Fatum. It's essentially the same as Aequalis soulmate necklaces." Casper's voice rumbles through me as I'm still holding on tightly.

Mateo grunts, "It's the same as Aequalrians because they stole it from us and took away the true meaning of it."

His eyes meet mine, "Our Fatum are stones found only in Cordovia mines. When two people have these stones in their possession, it glows—alerting them that their Fated is nearby. Unlike the Aequalrin version, which was created for breeding purposes only, the Fatum is of the Earth. The soulmate necklace pairs two with compatible genetics for reproduction, ensuring the superior race continues. The Fatum helps you find your other half. The one fate gave to complete you."

I'm unsure what to say, almost feeling the need to apologize for my people—for them ruining something so special to the Cordovians and turning it into something evil.

"I'm sorry my people ruined something so amazing."

He shakes his head, "They are not your people Iris, you're Cordovian now."

The thought of being taken away from Aequalis seemed terrifying not that long ago. But now, hearing Mateo call me a Cordovian, I almost feel like I have somewhere I belong, almost.