Unified Minds (New Moon Trilogy)

Chapter 1: Amani

Lauren and her friends had traveled for days and were now halfway across the Ashvon. "So, what happened to you in the Amani?" she asked.

Icas looked at Lauren. "The Amani can be a wonderful place. All people evil or good go there, but those who do wrong and are not sorry, see it as a wicked place. For evil people, the sky is blood red instead of a gorgeous blue. The grass is charred black and fires ravage the land and the inhabitants are haunted by those they have wronged. Those who do good, see a place similar to the Ashvon. The interesting thing is that the Amani is one place, not two. The last thing I remember was William's look of horror and disgust and the next thing I knew, I was in the Amani, but it was different."

"Different, how?" Kaylissa asked.

"I wasn't in just one part, I was in both. The left half of the sky was red, and the other was blue. There were two huge mountains, one for the Mwanga side, and one for the Giza side that separated me from anyone else who was there."

Light and dark, Lauren thought, recognizing the language for the two sides of the Amani.

"There was a huge tree right in the center. For the one on the Giza side, the tree was completely bare and dead. On the other side, as you can probably guess, was flourishing with healthy green leaves and colorful flowers. I was standing right in the center of the two sides and I had a feeling that I had better not step too far into one side or I would be stuck forever. At the base of the tree, stood one person with who I was all too familiar with." Icas took in a deep breath. "I saw Fallon. He was standing on the Mwanga side of the tree, staring at me. He just asked me one question: If you could go back, would you do things differently? Of course, I said yes, I never wanted to do the things that I did anyway."

"But why did you do them?" Amias asked.

"When you were little," Icas continued. "The Knights of Evermore, which I was a part of, journeyed to Nitra. Long story short, the king told me that my parents were still alive and were being held captive by the Kivuli and if I helped him, I would be able to save them. I agreed. With every bad thing I had done, I told myself that I was doing it to save my parents. I told myself that lie for fifteen years. I do not even know if my parents are still alive anymore."

Kaylissa looked over at Icas. "I think they are," she said. "A couple of years ago I had a dream about a man and woman who were surrounded by Kivuli and ever since you rescued Lauren from the Order of the Shadow, I thought I recognized your face, and now that you said that, I think that was them."

Icas sat silent. Could they be alive? Lauren interrupted his thoughts. "If we find a way to save them, I promise you, we will."

Icas gave Lauren a grateful smile and continued with his story. "After I told Fallon that yes, I would do things differently, he nodded and turned to Maisha, who had somehow appeared out of nowhere, and she told me that she would give me a second chance I felt my heart leap: I would have a chance to make things right. Maisha told me about the Order of the Shadow and that they were planning to kidnap the Moonstar. The first thing I did with my second chance, was find and infiltrate the Order of the Shadow. I knew that if they kidnapped her, I would be able to save her, and I did."

Lauren looked at Icas. "I really think you will make good on your promise to Fallon.