My limbs reconnect with my body as I crash against a glass floor and catch myself with my hands. I quickly push to my feet and my wrist lets out a loud pop. I wince as a sharp pain zips up my arm. I cradle my wrist and get to my feet. I'm standing in a field layered with grass that glistens like gemstones. Above, the sky is blue with sharp, distinct edges that resemble the cuts on a diamond. The clouds float back and forth, thin and wispy. At the end of the field is a godly throne perched on an immense silvery podium that's trimmed with various shades and sizes of emeralds.
"What the hell is this place?" I mutter.
There's a faint swoosh and then Alex drops down from above, landing gracefully beside me. His cheeks are wind kissed and his hair is disarranged. He quickly puts a finger up to his lips. "Shh... Keep quiet."
Another swoosh and Nicholas appears next to me. He smoothes the wrinkles from his cargo pants and ruffles his sandy hair back into place. "That was fun," he remarks cleverly as he rubs his hands together. "It's seriously the best part about being a Foreseer—falling into the unknown and not knowing where you're going."
I shake my injured wrist until it pops back into place. "If you think that was fun, then I'd hate to hear what you think is torture."
"You, a four-post bed, and some leather straps," he says with a wink. My jaw drops and he grins.
"Can we just get this over with?" Alex rearranges his hair into place with a quick tousle from his fingers. "The quicker we get out of here, the better."
"What's the rush?" Nicholas stuffs his hands into his pockets and rocks back on his heels. "They're never going to let Gemma leave until she's trained." He winks at me again. "Which gives us a lot of time to get to know each other."
"No thanks," I tell him. "I'd rather go back with Alex."
Nicholas scowls at me and stomps off in the direction of the throne that sits a couple hundred feet away. Alex and I trail after him down a path of broken teal porcelain and past a translucent sheet of glass. Every once in a while, the sheet of glass flickers and an image of a woman flashes across it. She is doing different things each time; writing in a journal, crying in a street, dancing in a field.
"It's how they keep an eye on the future," Alex whispers in my ear. "The screen continuously shows them what's going on."
I nod as the image of the woman fades into a lake that ripples in the sunlight, and that's how it stays until we reach the throne's podium. Standing beside the throne, is a short, plump man with elf shoes and curly brown hair. Nicholas approaches him, says something in his ear and the little man nods before hurrying off through the grass.
Alex places his hand on the small of my back and says in a low tone, "And you need to be careful around Nicholas. He's part faerie and he can't be trusted."
"Faerie," I mouth with wide eyes. He looks normal, which makes me question how many people are just people? And how many are something else disguised as humans? Have I crossed paths with some of them and had just been too oblivious to notice?
We wait in silence until an elderly man materializes from behind the throne. He's tall and lanky with pallid skin and shoulder-length grey hair. The silver shade of his robe matches his eyes and on the top of his hand is a circle wrapped around a "S." I assume it's the Foreseer's mark, although, I haven't spotted one on Nicholas.
Nicholas backs away from the throne and stands near the rim of the podium as the old man takes a seat in the throne. His thin fingers curl around the velvet armrests as he situates in the seat. "Welcome to the City of Crystal. I am Dyvinius, leader of the Foreseers." He speaks in slow, monotone syllables. "I understand that you were able to use the Foreseers' power to view a vision yesterday?"
I glance at Alex. What am I supposed to say? "I guess..."
"That's wonderful." Dyvinius drums his fingers. "I'm not sure if you know much about what a Foreseer does, or who we are, so I'll explain because it really is the most magnificent thing," he says and repositions the bottom of his robe so it's covering his feet. "A Foreseer uses the energy of the Divination Crystal to see what's going to happen. It helps us prepare the world for the future. Once a vision is read, it becomes permanent. There is no changing it."
He should probably explain that to the Keepers, since they think differently. The bigger picture suddenly opens up before me like I'm finally looking past the light and witnessing a small part of my future. Through all the chaos, emotions and secrets unwinding, I've never taken the time to see what it all means when I connect everything. In the end, I'm the key to saving the world. I will always be the star first and Gemma second.
"When a person goes into their first vision, they usually don't know what they're doing," Dyvinius continues. "Typically, a Foreseer's ability is discovered before they see their first vision. Occasionally, someone does end up slipping through the radar undetected. Most of the time, we find them, but sometimes, we don't." His silver eyes target on me. "We have a tracking system that lets us know when there's been an interference with the Divination Crystal. Now, it's not necessarily bad, but the vision does need to be read correctly. Otherwise, it can alter the human world." His face lights up and the wrinkles around his eyes multiply. He claps his hands and straightens up his shoulders. "And so, I've brought you down here to go into the vision again and read it correctly. That way, you can be trained as a Foreseer."
My mouth droops to a frown. "Do I have to?"
Alex snags the back of my shirt and draws me back as he steps forward. "She can't stay here right now. There are certain things that require her to stay with the Keepers at the moment."
Dyvinius's eyes glaze with ice. "And you are?"
"Alex Avery," Alex responds, positioning himself in front of me so I have to peek over his shoulder just to see what is going on.
"Is there any relation to Stephan Avery?" Dyvinius questions.
Alex reaches behind him and slips his fingers through mine. "He's my father."
"Oh, I see." Dyvinius frowns, displeased. "Tell me, Alex, what are the circumstances that are keeping Gemma with the Keepers?"
"I can't answer that," Alex says. "Like the Foreseers, the Keepers have certain things they have to keep to themselves."
"Yes, but there are also laws we're all supposed to follow and the law states that if a person is able to use the crystal ball to see a vision, then they have to be trained in the City of Crystal by the Foreseers." His mouth sags and on his expressionless face, it looks alarming. "If Gemma doesn't stay here, then she could alter the future by accident. Or get trapped inside a vision if she tries to enter one again. Untrained Foreseers are very dangerous."
My heart races inside my chest. He's going to make me stay.
"I understand that. I really do," Alex reassures him, stroking the back of my hand. "But there has to be something we can work out."
Dyvinius considers this, running his thin fingers along the jewel patterns on the armrest. "Hmmm... like, maybe a bargain?" A dark look arises on his face and his grin is very Cheshire Cat. "Perhaps we can work something out. If you make a promise that she will never use a crystal ball again until she is properly trained, then I don't see why I can't let her go back with the Keepers for a while." He pauses. "Of course, after it's all done, she'll have to come back to get trained. Otherwise, I'll have to have her make the promise, but I have a feeling you'd rather do that."
Sensing something is wrong, I yank on Alex's arm. "Alex, what will happen if you make the promise?"
He moves his hand away from mine. "I guess a promise can be arranged by me," Alex says through clenched teeth.
"Very good." Dyvinius beams, gesturing his hands at the palace land behind us. "You understand that you're making a promise and that there are consequences if you break the promise?"
Alex nods slowly. "Yeah, I understand how it all works."
Dyvinius leans forward in the throne and looks like a greedy little thief with hunger in his eyes. "Then I need you to say the words out loud."
I try to grab Alex's arm to stop him, but he wrenches it away. "I promise."
I feel something break, like a crack in the sky, and I know that somehow he will be paying for making the promise. I want to hug him for it and hit him at the same time.
Dyvinius relaxes back on the throne. "Now that that's been taken care of, I just need Gemma to read the vision correctly and then I'll let both of you return to the human world."
I cross my arms and move out from behind Alex, shooting him a quick questioning glance, but he avoids eye contact. "I don't know how to do that."
Dyvinius responds, "Well, I'm guessing that when you went in the vision, either some clips were missing, or things might have been blurry."
"Yeah," I reply. "I could see what was going on, but I couldn't tell who anyone was because their faces were too blurry."
"That's good, though. It will make it a little easier for you to correct because all you will have to do is put their faces together," Dyvinius explains. "It's when events are missing when things become a problem."
"Okay, but that doesn't explain how I'm supposed to put their faces together," I say, deflated. Going back into the vision is one of the last things I want to do because I don't want to witness the woman drowning all over again. It was too painful the first time.
"You go back and read the vision again." Dyvinius looks at Nicholas who's sitting at the edge of the podium. "And Nicholas will go in and help you."
Nicholas rises to his feet with a sly smirk on his face. "It'd be my pleasure." He winks at me and I glare in return.
This is all wrong. Not only do I have to go back into the horrifying vision, but I have to go in with the assistance of a foreseer/faerie/creepy pervert.
Dyvinius snaps his fingers and the chubby little man from earlier scurries out from behind the throne. He's carrying a crystal ball with violet ribbons swirling in the glass and it looks very similar to the one back at Adessa's. He places the ball in Dyvinius's hands and bows his head before scampering back behind the throne.
Dyvinius extends the crystal ball toward me with his fingers wrapped around the smooth glass. "Whenever you're ready, Gemma."
Sucking in a breath, I stride up to the podium and stop just short of the foot of the throne. I peer down at the crystal, seeing nothing but ribbons and the reflection of my violet eyes. "I just place my hand on it?"
"To start with." Dyvinius motions at Nicholas. "Get over here and take her hand."
Nicholas zealously snatches my hand and it takes a lot of effort not to cringe. "Orders are orders."
"Gemma, close your eyes and picture the vision you saw," Dyvinius instructs. "Then hold the picture in your mind while you place your hand on the crystal."
Ready to get this over with, I shut my eyes and focus on the eerie lake full of painful memories. I picture the grey stoned castle with peaking towers, where the children are forced to go. I picture the trees and autumn leaves that blow from the wind as the woman drowns. I let my fingertips skim the glass and then I'm jerked forward and my body ruptures into pieces before raining into the tunnel made of light.
