Forty nine

" Graham, could you please procure some food and a drink for Lily, " Mason says without taking his eyes off Timeea.

Graham nods non-committal, turns on his heels and makes his way out of the room.

" Whatever secrets you are safekeeping, they won't remain a secret for very long. I will not break my friend's trust in me. I will give you a moment to think about it before you decide whether to share it with us or not," Mason slips his hand into mine, brings our joined hands to his lips and brushes his lips over my knuckles. At this moment we are each other anchor, holding us steadfast in the storm that is brewing around us. He has a past to uncover, and so do I. The lost children of destiny, trying to make sense of a life they have no hand in crafting.

A heavy silence falls over the semi-dark room while I let my gaze explore a little bit more of the murals. Unfortunately, some details have been erased by the passing of time and exposure to elements. But I have no doubt it could easily be restored. I'm assuming that they are in this state by choice. Timeea's choice.

" Once this is was my home," Timeea waves a hand around the room" Our room, " I take a closer look at the now bare room, lacking any sort of decorative elements, except for the lighting fixtures. Two large windows offer a panoramic view of the sprawling gardens and the Gallassos skyline. What once, probably was a cosy, enchanting room, now desolate, and rather depressing to be in it. If this was their room, then that means that it hasn't been touched in thirty years.

" My parents, moved out of Little Palace right after my sister disappeared. They refused to ever look at it again. Only after their passing, I've reopened it, but I never quite dared to touch this room," It is strange how much our roots shape our future selves.

" You're right. We come from a very long line, of what you'd call whisperers. We do not control but encourage. My sister was far more stronger than I was. Unfortunately over the ages, our bloodlines have been diluted, limiting our influence. We can encourage trees to spread their roots deeper, thus helping them flourish, and produce better yield. And you can figure out the rest. If you are my sister's son, and you possess a fraction of her abilities then you should already be aware of your capabilities. We are able to exert our powers since birth," Timeea takes a deep breath and finally turns to face us, wearing a rather pained expression.

" I'm afraid that you are wrong, " Mason cuts Timeea off before she continues her speech.

" Then perhaps I have been mistaken, and you're appearance is merely a coincidence. Nonetheless, I urge you to keep this information to yourselves. It is not common knowledge among the Takkarian people. Even though I'm their chosen leader, just like my previous predecessors, our family has led the people of this District for generations. They have prospered under our leadership and it would be a shame to disseminate doubt among our people," Fair point. Perhaps we were wrong about them two being related.

" What if...," I begin, " What if his abilities would be tied to someone else's? You said that you have the ability to influence nature. But your sister was far more powerful than you are. What if, his abilities have been used for other purposes other than helping nature grow thicker foliage, " That sounded a tad dismissive but I'm scrambling. Timeea takes a moment to think about it, looking between Mason and me with inquisitive eyes.

" I'm afraid that I do not understand what you mean. Firstly, that wouldn't be possible. One's power is woven tightly into their being, it cannot be taken, or shared with anyone else other than the person who possesses the gift. Gaia, is our goddess, she protects us and in return, we protect her creation, " Timeea says flustered, her temper getting the best of her. I know that what I said might've been a direct attack on her belief system, but one cannot dismiss the possibility.

" What if you're wrong? " She might seem irritated by my presence but she seems to indulge Mason just fine. Perhaps she is not entirely convinced of her own theory.

" What you're suggesting is ludicrous. You're merely grasping at straws," She bites back, a touch annoyed.

" We are not," Madon says firmly. This is going to be a long night.

" Vidris asmerat," Timeea gasps as the room lights up with blinding light, making all of us squint and cover our eyes.

" Effedri, " I say before we all go blind. It takes a few moments before I stop seeing stars in front of my eyes, but eventually, my eyesight readjust to the dim lighting of the room.

Timeea sputters, slightly wary of our presence, as she takes a step back.

" What are you?" She whispers, a touch of fear colouring her voice. She should be afraid because we are far from tree whisperers.

" Lily is what is known to be an ephemerae. I'm still trying to find out what I am. But so far, I'm merely expunging whatever she cannot contain. It keeps her from reaching a critical point and wiping us all off the face of the earth," Mason explains hurriedly because Timeea has plastered herself against the wall, heaving heavily.

" Mistress of Doom," She whispers into the ensuing silence. Eh? Come again.

" Mistress of Doom?" I parrot back, unable to keep the surprise out of my tone. This is a new one. What do you know, I guess after all David was right.

"That's what they call you. A legend... hmm...I never really understood why they call you an ephemerae, because you're quite the opposite. You sort of live forever, in a way, " Right, that doesn't make any sense. Or is it just me and my sleep-addled brain?

" Elaborate," Mason demands, his grip on my hand tightening to a painful degree.

" Uhmm, well,...," At least I'm not the only one left speechless in the room, struggling to find her words in order to formulate and coherent response.

" You kind of give birth to yourself...does that make sense?" Nope, none at all. How would I give birth to myself? Is it just me, but that concept would be scientifically impossible to achieve, even at a theoretical level.

" No, it doesn't, " I rasp, suddenly my voice sounding nothing like my own, strained from the tension seizing every muscle in my throat.