Golden Wings

Chapter 12~ Present Day, The Blue

I enter my grandfather's office slowly and shut the door behind me quietly so as not to disturb his thinking.

"Clarisa?" He calls from his chair, facing away from me.

"I... I heard you wanted to see me, Grandfather?" I ask tentatively, coming to the edge of his desk.

"Yes... Yes, I did." He nods slowly, standing, and for once I see the old man he used to be reflected in his hunched stance. "Clarisa..." He starts, looking tired. "I want- I need to talk to you. About Kyle."

I look away, at the floor, and respond bitterly, "It's been almost a month. You're a bit too late for that."

"I..." He begins, but sighs, cutting himself off. "I know... I mean, I haven't been very... I understand-"

"No, you don't!" I burst out. "You don't understand! How could you know?" I scream at him, fighting back tears.

"Clarisa, listen-" He tries again vainly,

"No, you listen!" I slam my hands on his desk, choking on my own words. "Kyle Maddsen has been my best friend, my one true friend for 75 years! I've been keeping I touch with him in the most insane ways possible, only to have all contact with him ripped away from me by some 'Dark Angel' ridiculousness! He's the one person that... Knew me. Really knew me. Do you understand what it feels like to have your life split in two by one stupid, measly, irrelevant letter? Do you know what that feels like?" I pant, breathing for the first time in seconds, but my breath is cut short by my grandfathers whispered response.

"Yes."

That's when I remembered the most important thing about The Blue: it's for those who deserve a second chance. For those who need it. My Grandfathers wife, whom I never met, died peacefully of old age. For years he waited and hoped. But she never came... The only way he learned was a letter delivered by a white dove, at midnight.

The same had happened to me, with my parents. 29 years ago. I had thought that maybe... Because of me... But, no.

"Grandfather... I-" I begin.

"No issue, Clarisa." He says plainly, standing. "I understand how you feel. But... I feel like there may be more with Kyle."

"What do you mean?" I ask him, confused.

"Maybe you should sit... This is a pretty heavy topic." He gestures to the chair John Maddsen usually sits, and I take it, avoiding my usual seat. "I sent scouts out to the border. What they found... Well..." He huffs and sits back in his chair. "There was no body, Clarisa. No signs of... The cliff's edge... And the ground around the area was just... And..." He trails off, and despite my best efforts, I feel a stirring of... Hope.

"And...?" I add.

"And there was another note." My heart drops. "I don't quite understand it but... Maybe you will." He pulls out a roll of parchment, and when he hands it to me I see a hand-drawn sketch. A cliffs edge, and etched into the dirt was a large, crudely written, message,

V EARTH V

"I..." I begin, just as confused as he is. "What do you...?"

"I don't know." He sighed. "I've talked to John, but it just doesn't make sense!" He stands, and begins to pace as he exclaims, "The portals were sealed of centuries ago! After the war... Our ancestral king decided that letting everyone into The Blue would only start another war... And it seems that the opposite solution has caused the same outcome a thousand years later." He sighs, massaging his eyebrows. "I just don't understand."

"Grandfather?" I ask hesitantly, "Where were the portals?"

He chuckles, saying, "You really ought to pay more attention in history, Clarisa." I open my mouth to protest, but he cuts me off. "Never mind that. The portals were where the arrival gates are now."

"Oh. I- I knew that." I lie unconvincingly but use the lie as a transition to my next question. "I meant where were the portals on Earth?"

He sighs, walking over to a nearby bookshelf. He pulls down a thick, cracked red leather-bound book, and sets it on his desk with a thump. He flips to a page with a map of what I can only assume is Earth. It was definitely different from maps I had seen in my life- well, my previous life, anyways.

"That's a bit..." I begin

"Old? Yeah, but it was accurate then." He says, running his finger along the page. "As far as I can tell, they were in places of great beauty. Of... High magical potential, one could say. There's one in the middle of this section of lakes in... Is that Lower Canada? I can't remember." He shakes his head.

"I believe that's known as just Canada now, Grandfather." I laugh quietly under my breath. "What of Europe?"

"Oh, plenty of gateways in Europe. The Alps, Lake Geneva, Italy..."

"Like, Italy as a whole?" I ask disbelievingly.

"Uh..." He glances at the map, then snickers. "Yeah."

"That's not very specific." I chuckle.

"Apparently someone was biased." He laughs, and, despite my best efforts, I'm soon laughing with him, clutching my sides at this ridiculously unhelpful map. We both still at a quiet knock at the door.

Grandfather clears his throat before announcing, "Enter."

The door opens slowly, and I see Edward lean in confidently. "I thought I'd find you here, Clarisa."