The Catalyst

Chapter 19

Jaden left the common room early. Noah stayed a little longer, sipping his ale, but he soon began to feel his presence was not relevant. Kitera and Dharkan laughed together, ordering more drinks, with the occasional cuddle and kiss of lovers who hadn't seen each other in a long time. Noah was exhausted. He couldn't remember the last time he'd had a proper sleep.

"Good night, Noah," Kitera said as he adjusted his bag's strap over his shoulder.

"'Night," he replied before glancing at Dharkan. "Good luck with the snoring."

"I do not snore," Kitera protested.

"Yeah, you do." Again he addressed Dharkan, "I don't know how you do it."

"I snore louder," Dharkan said.

Shaking his head, Noah made his way out with a small smile on his lips.

The room he shared with Jaden was on the second floor, last door to the left. Floorboards creaked under his boots as he reached it, dropping a hand on the handle and shouldering the door open.

Jaden was doing his meditation, sitting with his spine straight, eyes closed, face relaxed, breathing deep and even. Behind him the wide curtainless window revealed the clouded night sky. Some candles were lit atop the desk.

There was something odd about the air in the room, Noah realized as he closed the door and dropped his stuff. The air itself seemed to shimmer. It was translucent, yet when Noah raised a tentative hand, his fingers moving across the stuff, he felt something. A caress. Light tingles.

Then it was gone. Am I going crazy?

Uncrossing his legs, Jaden rose then sat on one of the beds.

Noah let himself fall on the other. "Hey, what were you doing, just now?"

"Just a bit of meditation."

"There was nothing . . . special about it?" Noah asked.

"Special? What do you mean?"

"The air was . . . You know what? Never mind. I think I'm just tired."

"I'm dead," Jaden admitted.

They blew off the candles and sank in their beds. Noah let out a content sigh as darkness soothed his eyes. After a moment, Jaden's quiet voice broke the silence.

"I've been wondering, how did you do that trick earlier, with the knives?"

"Spider web threads," Noah answered.

"Oh, right . . . Well it was quite neat."

After a pause, Jaden asked, "Did you truly put a spider in Kitera's bath water?"

Noah laughed and slid one arm under his head. "Nah. I wouldn't do that. Not every spider incident is my fault, you know. But she didn't believe me."

"I see." His voice held a smile. "So, this Dharkan, he's quite . . ."

"The most annoying person ever?" Noah tried.

"I was about to say entertaining."

"Huh," Noah said, "you're even more polite than I thought."

"If I may ask, what's the name of your cult?"

For one so tired, Jaden was being awfully chatty. But Noah didn't mind.

"It changes names a lot. Right now it's The Spider and the Snake."

"Who has the snake demon?"

"Kitera's brother," Noah said.

"Oh." They lapsed into silence for perhaps a minute.