Keepers of Time

14. Exceptions

14. Exceptions

I whirled around at the sound of my name only to find a frantic Calder and breathless Kimberly. Gretchen cleared her throat giving me a reprimanding look over her shoulder.  I sent her my best apologetic smile for my friend’s rude manners.  She sighed, shaking her head in disapproval, and went back to tending to the books in front of her.

“Where have you been?”  Calder asked through clenched teeth.

I raised my brow at the tightness in his voice.  There was a wild look in his eyes and I cast an apprehensive look to Kimberly noting the redness in her cheeks.  Slowly I said, “I’ve been here since I left the caf,” I dropped my voice to a whisper and added, “I found something.”

He raised an eyebrow and nodded – understanding the gravity of the situation. “Not here. We should go somewhere private.”

I nodded in agreement.  Grabbing the book from the table we headed out of the library and into the corridor where the torch lights lit on my command.  I heard a small gasp of wonder from Kim, and I looked back to see her in awe.  She was still fairly new to this new world.  My guess was that she didn’t know I wielded magic.  It was part of me as much as I needed the air to fill my lungs to breathe.  If I recall I don’t think she’s ever seen me use my power aside from casting a spell, but that was something we all could do a little of. 

“So where are we going?”  She asked softly, her voice traveling in the small space between us.

Calder and I exchange a knowing glance as a grin broke his face.  “It’s a secret.”

***

“So now you know.” I said, watching Kimberly intently as worry lines began to crease her forehead.  She had stayed silent as Gabriel and I delved her in our theories and assumptions along with enlightening her about the Keeper Legend.

“Do you believe they are keeping all of this a secret to protect us?”  She asked.

Gabriel took a seat for the first time since we entered our underground hideout beneath one of the gazebos.  The old wooden chair creaked under his weight.  Wearily, Gabe puts his head in his hands as exhaustion sets in his slacked form. 

“The question is – why are they trying to protect us?”

Kimberly shook her head, not knowing what to say as her blue gaze traveled around the small room.  I rubbed at my temples in small circles trying to rid the ache of all the information we have gathered today.  Gabriel’s theory was probable and it was more in depth than I ever would have thought.  But in sharing my only assumption he agreed that there might be a traitor in our midst.  It would be a significant factor if there truly was an uprising and what happened centuries ago was happening again as we spoke.

The last piece of the puzzle was why.

Why did the Councils mutually agree to hide a war from our history?

What was the purpose of that other than keeping it hidden for future generations?

What exactly happened?

“I’ll see you guys tomorrow at training,” Gabriel said, casting a look at his watch. “Have a goodnight.”

“Night,” Kimberly said as I slightly nodded in his departure.  One moment he was there and then he was gone in an instant as he used a teleportation spell to leave rather than going up the ladder and through the gardens to the castle.

He had it easy.

“So what are we going to do about this?” She asked breaking the silence in the room. “Are you going to tell your father or Elder Montehue?”