Ellas

Alex

Jain looked up from the book, astonishment suddenly on his face. ‘How? How can this be so. You have read the book… you know it by heart you claim, and yet you never thought to mention this?’ His voice was shrill with anger.

I had finally relented… well Carthia had convinced me that Jain should be allowed to see for himself what Sarah and I had written; his so-called seventh tome.

Jalholm had long since given up on actually reading the book — I didn't know why, but even though I did trust the man, letting him hold the book seemed somehow wrong – and David had read it before hadn't, so he was content for Carthia and I to interpret its words, where we could.

Jain had not given up. He had pestered all of us. He had given up on asking me, but he'd cajoled David into asking on his behalf and when that didn't work he began to pester Carthia.

It was her feelings for the old man that had won me over. Outwardly, she seemed to all but hate the man, but in reality she really did feel kindly towards him, and more than that she had come to respect his opinion, and was in awe of his prodigious knowledge of ancient law and the prophecies.

I'd given Jain the book on the condition that he did not take it out of my sight; either Carthia or I had to be present when he read it, and when it was time for sleep, I took it back.

And now, as he finished the last page, he spoke to me with anger in his voice. What the hell was his problem?

My words echoed my thoughts, but with a great deal more anger. ‘What the hell is your problem, old man?’ David sometimes called Jain old man with fondness, but my words were drenched in insult.

‘You don't know what angers me?’ His voice proclaimed his utter astonishment that I did not.

‘After all I have said on the tomes. After I proclaimed this,’ and he held up my book to me, shaking it angrily, ‘to be the legendary lost seventh tome, you think not to mention its last words to me.’

He stood before me now, and despite his short, dumpy stature, he towered over me as I sat. His face was red with fury. Behind him I glimpse Carthia walking hurriedly towards us, concern written all over her face.

‘That's right, old man. I do not have a clue. Show me for God's sake and then perhaps we can talk of whatever it is more calmly.’

He thrust my book at me just in time for Carthia to snatch it from his outstretched hand. Gently she handed the book to me.

‘What is wrong, Jain?’ she asked, her voice strangely quiet and calming. Not at all what I expected.

Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

Her soothing words seemed to deflate him, and slowly he moved to sit beside me. ‘Read the last page, Alex, and then tell me why you have not talked of this before.’

I opened the book, flicked through its pages to the end. It's last two pages stared up at me from my lap. I knew what they said, didn't have to read them, but I made a point of running my finger down each page as I quickly scanned the words.

‘Not that,’ Jain snapped. ‘The last page. Turn the page over.’

Almost automatically, I said, ‘There is no more, Jain. This is the last,’ and as if to prove the point, my fingers were turning the page almost of their own accord.

As the page, the page I knew to be empty, came into view, my breath caught. Anger flooded me. ‘Who did this?’ I screamed. ‘Who —’

My words died in my mouth as my eyes saw the perfectly formed words and the neat lines of script. It was Sarah's hand. It could be no other. But how could this be? ‘The page was empty. It has always been empty,’ I said weakly.

Carthia was leaning over my shoulder. Her voice was shocked as she spoke, ‘My sister speaks true, Jain. This was not there but yesterday when she offered the book to you. I have read it all since her return... twice. These words were not there.’

Carthia was sitting beside me now, holding me as I shook with the shock of what I was seeing. Sarah had added to the book. Written these words. But how? She was dead, at least the sister who had written all that went before was… but I also knew that that very same sister looked out through Carthia's eyes when she dreamt.

Could that be it? Did Sarah write this using Carthia's hands? I stared at my sister, my newly returned sister, and as she turned to face me, I knew that Sarah was there with her now, behind her eyes, watching this, listening to what I said.

‘You wrote this, Carthia,’ I said with conviction. Sarah wrote this through you.’

Concern filled Carthia's face, but then slowly, comprehension dawned on her and she gave an almost imperceptible nod of her head.

‘I understand what you say, sister. I do not recall anything of such an act, but I believe it is as you say.’

Jain had been listening avidly as we talked. He had leaned in close, his paunch weighing heavily on his knees.

‘You really believe this Alex? You, too, Carthia? Your sister, Sarah her name was wasn't it, wrote these words now? Now in this time and place where she doesn't exist?’

‘She is here now, Jain. I see her behind Carthia's eyes. Somewhere she dreams, and she dreams of this… where we are now. Yes, she wrote these words… but what do they mean for the battle to come? What do they mean for us?’

As if his earlier anger with me had never existed, Jane reached out his hand. ‘May I?’ He asked in a tone that held no apology whatsoever.

‘You have no honour, old man,’ Carthia snorted. ‘You abuse and insult my sister and then request her favour… pah!"

I knew now though that Carthia's harsh words were a game she played, and held no real malice.

Jain did not respond to her words, he merely sat there his hands still outstretched and his eyes locked on mine. I handed him the book, and he quickly flicked to that final page.

As he began to read the words, Carthia spoke the words aloud though her gaze was on me and not on the book. Sarah shone brightly in her eyes and her voice was that of my sister from so long ago. Tears streaked Carthia's face.

‘It does not end here, Alex. Not with this, our book, nor in the dream world that we so loved.

‘You will not end him here, for he will flee to another place.

Follow him, my sister, for there you must learn of his beginning, for only with that knowledge will you rid our worlds of him.

‘Follow him, Alexandria, learn how he came to be… and then destroy him.

‘Now this dream must finally comes to an end, Alex, and as Sarah I must say goodbye. But do not weep, for as Carthia I will always be at your side.’

As Carthia’s voice fell silent, I looked upon her face and knew Sarah’s final words were true - she would always be with me, for somehow Sarah and Carthia were one and the same, and we three truly were the Sisters of Soul that Jain’s prophesies told of.