Winter 2045
Ally Fae
Draymont wasn’t as large as Bannes, but that didn’t mean it didn’t have its own unique energy. People seemed to rush with specific purpose as soon as she entered the outskirts. Bannes was busy—but for as large as it was it felt like the atmosphere was communal—conversations that started on the street would carry into the taverns.
Draymont here reminded her of the city atmosphere of the old world. It was organized in blocks like some of those old cities even though it only consisted of a few blocks in total. The only thing it was missing was a flood of cars and people swearing at each other and she could have been led to believe it was a small slice of Manhattan.
She passed by a few buildings that looked to be variety shops—the kind of thing you’d stop into if you were a local looking to fill your lodging with unnecessaries. The kind of thing that puts your mind at ease rather than adds any implicit value to your survival.
“Well maybe you could stop in and pick up a lucky charm,” Jace offered.
“It’s a nice thought, but I’d first like to see if I can find that seer.” Ally thought back to him. She passed by a few passerbys who hadn’t given her the time of day—it was one part nice to feel like she wasn’t going to be hounded by strangers, but it also gave the area a less warm vibe than places she’s stayed before.
“You know, it does say a lot about people’s changing views when someone with the title of ‘seer’ can be taken seriously enough to have rumors spread about them far and wide,” Jace said.
“Yeah, I guess that is strange to think about. I didn’t ever think of what a normal person would think about the kind of things we’ve seen. I guess it’s a good thing overall people are willing to accept the things that are right in front of their faces.”
“But you know there’s going to be places where that isn’t true—I’m sure there are people even here who choose to ignore and close out the truth.”
“Yeah…” Ally looked up toward the sky, “in a way they’re kind of like the moon up there—ominous, always hanging over us...but you have to choose to look at it. You don’t have to stare at its ominous mug while it hangs there. People are kind of like that, I think. If there are really awful ones, you can look away from them.”
“You can’t always look away from them.”
“No...I guess not.”
“You should leave the artsy talk for the book, don’t you think?”
She chuckled and continued forward. There was a small gathering of people outside the market—it was a strange sight to see it so full this late into the night—but people acted as people did—doing whatever their fancy was at whatever time they fancied.
“The place we’re looking for should be around here—I heard there was a corner that was ripe with spiritual energy.”
“Way to make it sound ominous,” Jace said.
“Not ominous, interesting. About time people with good taste congregated together.”
“Oh yeah, I forgot you were into that stuff.”
“That stuff, I’ll have you know is responsible for you being able to even have an opinion on the matter,” Ally chided.
She could imagine the defensive posture Jace would have held up at this remark. His tone sure sounded as such in his reply.
“You may be right, I didn’t so much as mean anything by it missy. Hopin’ you don’t leave me with one of those curses.”
“I’m hanging up, bye,” Ally said, and then continued on her path. The street she was looking for was called Astral Way. It made her think if the original settlers had decided to name it such because they intended to have a place to explore their spiritual hobbies or if it was previously named something else and then changed retroactively once the people started to take notice.
She found who she was looking for almost immediately—there was a stand set-up next to the tarot shop. A golden eye emblazoned the cloth that was spread out over the front.
The man standing behind the stall wore a heavy robe with the same golden eye stitched into the front. The hood was down so she could see the man’s wiry gray hair that stuck up at odd angles. He wore thick glasses that looked to be tied together with a sort of twine.
“You have been watching me for a few moments now. I assume you have interest in leering beyond the void?” The man asked. His voice was higher than she expected—it made the man seem like he belonged in a retirement home—the whispy nature of it could have led her to believe he was fragile to the touch.
She knew the importance of not letting her initial impressions dictate her opinion of people—typically this helped to avoid offending on first meet, but in situations like these she felt it helped protect her from those who might use false fronts such as this to help talk folk out of their coin.
She was sure he put on the voice to seem like an old fool that others should take pity on—even if they didn’t believe he could actually do anything mystical. To each their own, but she wasn’t going to let herself get swindled if this went south.
“I’m searching for someone, and fortunately for me they aren’t dead yet.” In truth, she hadn’t really known that—but she had a gut feeling that it was true. “I have something that used to be in his possession. I want you to tell me if you can trace his whereabouts.”
The man smiled. “Well if ol’ Ryker can’t find who you’re looking for I can offer you my void search free of charge—just to confirm that suspicion of yours if the lad is dead and buried.”
Ally’s eyes widened at the comment. He must have some sort of sensitivity to be able to read my thoughts like that.
“Calling it a sensitivity would be a microcosm of the reach, my friend.” Ryker’s eyes sharpened as he rested his palms facing down on the table and gave each side a tentative rub. “Call it a silver and we’ll see if you’re going to get taken in...or whatever you think you fear.”
A silver piece wasn’t anything to cry about if it did indeed turn out to be some elaborate sham. She shrugged and dug the coin out of her pocket. She placed it down on the table and she glanced some passerbys glancing in their direction.
“They pity you, you know,” Ryker said, taking the coin up in his grasp, holding it up to the light. “They think old Rykie’s got another rube lining his wallets. They don’t pity you enough to stop you, though. That’s the world in a nutshell, innit?”
Ally’s gaze turned back to the man as she heard his accent slip through. “You were from England before all this?”
She didn’t know exactly why she had asked, but something inside her—maybe Jace—maybe Ryker himself had prodded the question from her brain.
“Why, I thought you’d never ask,” he grinned. “Y’see dearie, I’m more than a parlor showman, and I sense your growing intrigue at the level at which I can operate. You are similar...I can feel it. You have this sensitivity you so mention.”
“So it was you,” Ally said. “You drew out the question you already knew the answer to.”
Ryker shrugged. “I think of it as a subtle tug of persuasion.”
She felt the tug again. She held her tongue as it dared to ask, “Was that when they were going to hang you as London’s first witch since the old days?”
She hadn’t understood the context of the question but was able to piece some of it together. She hadn’t been old enough to even begin to think of international news back in the old world—but it now begged the question—if she had searched online would she have seen articles of this man’s exploits? Would she have seen testimonials from the witnesses—those so scared that the government deemed it necessary to execute him for fear of witchcraft? She thought so, and as she thought it she saw the grin on his face grow wide.
“Still wish to toss your silver away to the poor old beggar who can’t keep his lips off the bottle, dearie?”
“What did you do?” Ally asked. “Before I go any further I need to know what you did that got you where you were before the world turned over.”
“Making sure I’m toeing the line of the law...making sure you’re not dealing with a murderer or anything like that? I understand your hesitance, but is it not foundless? What use does anything from the old world have in the now—in the here?”
She saw images of an overturned truck—this sight wasn’t given, but instead taken. Ryker was right—Ally was sensitive to these subjects, and so easily was she to learn the tricks of the trade from someone who had clearly been adept at it for decades. She reached inside his mind and saw the image of the truck. It looked military grade—and so was the sole driver who looked to be unconscious in the front seat.
Ryker was standing in the street—his hair was not yet grayed, but instead the salt and pepper mix of a man who was denying his own inevitability. Reeling the sight back she saw the truck flip back onto its four wheels and the man inside’s eyes opened. It floated back onto the road and away from Ryker where it stopped and then played in motion.
Ryker stood out in the street with his hands behind his back—a confident stance as the truck barreled to him. The driver slammed on the brakes, but in a crucial moment Ally had to stop the scene to notice—the man’s neck twisted at an odd angle and his foot fell heavily on the brake while his other slumped on the gas. The truck seized and spun out of control before flipping over.
Ryker stood perfectly still as the vehicle came to a stop. He slowly paced toward the rear of the truck as cars behind came to screeching halts to the accident. A sound of a hinge snapping seemed to echo throughout the busy street and the rear doors opened pitifully. Bills of all sorts spilled onto the street.
Strangest of all, and the fact that spread the fear in the first place was what happened when the bills had touched the ground. They seemed to multiply—the stacks had doubled on themselves and soon a mountain of money towered twenty feet tall in the streets—far too much to ever be able to fit into the truck.
Ryker made no motion to collect any of it—he simply stood and watched as others exited their cars—watching the event and then suddenly overcome by the desire to grab the money.
Their better minds would have told them that was not the smartest idea as the bills could be traced later on, but all present would have said that they didn’t know what they were thinking. Some random compulsion just came over them and in that moment they had to collect as much of the money as they could fit.
That was all she was able to grab from the memory before it was yanked away from her and Ryker’s grin had vanished. For a fraction of a second she could have sworn she saw a grimace but he seemed to quickly shift it into a neutral look.
“My...my, you are much stronger than I anticipated...it seems we have that in common. Well, now you’ve seen my terrible past. I am nothing but a romantic for the people.”
Ally wasn’t sure she trusted that. She felt like his grip was much too strong and much too hurried there—as if it would have been bad if she continued watching. She wondered what else she would have seen, but figured right now was not the time or place to test that theory. She still needed the information she originally came for after all, and prodding him any further may make getting that difficult.
“A wise decision,” Ryker nodded, folding his hands together and rubbing them slowly. “I keep my memories to myself much as you would for yours—you keeping your privacy does not mean you are keeping secrets...and even if, what are they to you? It is as you said. The world has changed and anyone that would have benefited from my gracious acts is most definitely long since erased.”
Ally looked into his eyes and saw the same neutral look and then decided to move on. She nodded and then began, “Okay, now back to my original request. I would like you to locate my friend, but I’m not going to give you the item he used to have.”
This shocked Ryker and he looked up at her with his brows furrowed.
“I do not trust you fully, but I’ve paid you the coin. You clearly are capable of much you haven’t said, so you should be able to get your reading from the item on my person. You’ll know which it is.”
The man’s eyes grew sharp again as if studying her closely. He mumbled something to himself and she felt him prodding in her mind for the shape of the Monolith.
“I see...I can indeed feel that…” he licked his lips.
“That look right there is exactly why I am not bringing it out,” Ally said, looking up then down to him. “It is safe. You will not pickpocket it even with the deftest of hands, and your pull will not draw it from any physical space.”
Ryker stared at her for a few moments longer and then finally sighed. “Fine. You have tricks, I concede...but I have an offer for you.”
“No thanks,” Ally said.
“You haven’t even heard the terms. Besides, how can I in good faith offer my truest readings if we’re not even on the same page?”
Ally herself sighed and felt this was a mistake to begin with. “What is your offer?”
“I will do your reading—I will locate your friend. I’ll even give you your silver back.”
Ally waited for the other half of the offer, but the man simply stared at her, his grin renewed. “And…? What would you get from the exchange?”
“You would accompany me back to my guild, of course. I would like to have your abilities tested. I’m sure that would be of vested interest to both of us.”
“I fail to see what you gain from this. Besides, if I came to follow you even if I wanted to, it would go against the entire reason I spoke to you in the first place. I’m searching for my friend.”
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“That may be so, but people’s reasons change all the time.” He offered a knowing smile and motioned with his hands.
Ally shook her head, “I don’t think mine are changing, sorry.”
She turned to move. Just keep the silver at this point. You’ve won.
“Ah, but what of your boyfriend?” He asked.
“You clearly are so keen to avoid searching for him I may as well have more luck searching for him myself at this point,” Ally said. “I’m done playing into your schemes.”
Ryker made a scoffing motion with his hands and rested them back down on the table. “Oh, not that poor fool. I already know he’s not your object of interest. I’m talking about the boy you lost not too long ago. The one who’s grown into a man of his own since then...Felix, was it?”
Ally’s blood ran cold, and she hated herself for reacting in such a way.
“It’s really quite funny, it was one of the first things I picked off of you when I saw you. It wasn’t sitting in your front mind—of course your mission was front and center, of course. As it should be for a young lady like yourself. A strong lady, might I add. Yet buried just under the surface was this aching, crying memory of the man who I just so happen to have in employ at the Guild of Chromages.
Ally stared at him hard and searched for any evidence of a bluff or a lie. She didn’t have to search hard for the relevant memory and he let it go freely. Instantly she saw the face she had remembered—although he was definitely older just like the older version of herself. His facial hair had filled in and his hair had thinned slightly. She couldn’t get a full glimpse of what he was doing, but the short look was enough for her to know he wasn’t lying.
“I didn’t expect to meet the girl he goes on about so soon, but I had a sight that I’d meet up with you eventually. I won’t lie and say that our meeting was the reason for my travels, as I’m sure you can see the pretty profits I’ve made from my ways, but it definitely was a good motivator to keep my net wide, so to speak. I had an inkling you were on this side of the continent so I figured that you would stop by Draymont sooner or later.”
“All so I would come with you to this guild?” Ally asked.
“It isn’t for some deep desire to reunite star-crossed lovers,” Ryker said, giving an off-color look to her. “He looks much too old for you anyway. But my impressions mean rather little to you, I understand. My desire is what I said. I would have your abilities judged and graded—we have the equipment to properly rank you as a chromage, and if they show as pleasant as I think so, I’d be fully willing to offer you employ. At which you would most definitely refuse if given that opportunity now.”
“You’d have me come with you knowing I’d say no?”
He smiled, “It’s like I said. People’s minds change all the time, and sometimes for the smallest of reasons. I’m offering an opportunity. If by the time we return to the guild and you still wish to chase the thread of your friend I will not stop you. I will have gotten what I wished for by judging you—the resonance of those who are talented in the magical arts is increased by being in the presence of those who are like themselves. You being present to be judged for even but a fraction of time would surely be beneficial to everyone involved even if the parting is soon to follow. Plus, if you are as strong as I think you are, having one such as that graded would bring positive word to the guild—whether you remain there or not. So you see, I have a multitude of reasons to seek your companionship to the guild—and very little of it is at an actual cost to you. Isn’t that grand?”
Ally stared at the man. “I have this strange thing about trusting my gut feeling, and that feeling is telling me to run as far away from you as I can.”
“I know, I’ve been feeling it for the last few minutes. Yet, here you remain.”
“…” Ally continued to stare at him, which only brought the smile back even brighter on his face.
“It’s okay, I understand. And I am anything if not a man of my word. Your friend and his lover...ooh what a nice batch of complicated feelings you have there tucked away—I won’t delve deeper than that I promise,” his smile arched in a wicked cross. “They are…” his look froze as his smile faded.
“Ryker?” Ally asked. She tried to pull for an answer from his mind, but she only got confusion back in return.
Ryker looked back up to her with the most off-taken look she’d seen on him yet. “Your friend isn’t here anymore. He’s in the underworld.”
“The underworld? What are you even talking about?” Ally asked.
“There is a world beneath our own...I’ve felt its stirrings but for the average person it may not even exist,” Ryker said. “I have heard rumors in dark places of people that have crossed into the underworld—word of loved ones disappearing without a trace...barely without a trace. Yet here...I can sense they are no longer on our side of the coin as it were.”
Such a thing sounded nothing more than fantasy. It was as if she were in some Greek tragedy...but at the same time it seemed to fit in perfectly with the cyclone of events that had taken control of her life for the past nine years.
“So dearie, now I think you come to what those in the business call a watershed moment. I think your life from this point forward is going to change dramatically. That of course is your choice on which direction it goes, although if you were to ask me I don’t see it as a choice at all, really. That’s how simple it is.”
“What do you mean?” Ally asked.
“Well, the fact that your friends have gotten themselves in the underworld makes your decision all the simpler—if they were still on our side you would have had to choose which path you would want to follow—your friends or the one who has your heart. It would be tempting either way and you’d end up disappointing at least one part of yourself no matter what. Yet, that isn’t the situation we’re in, you see? I think the best solution for you for both sides of yourself is to follow and accompany me to the guild in Achrom. You see, we have all sorts of people on site who are researching all sorts of things. One of those very subjects just so happens to be the seams that lead from our world to the underworld. Meaning…”
“That I would get to have my cake and eat it too,” Ally answered.
“Right you are! See, it isn’t anything but a simple one way street. You could stray from that path, but I feel you would end up at the guild sooner or later. Would your mind truly rest if you had not done everything you could to set either of those matters at rest? And would you forgive yourself if something inopportune had happened if you had not taken up the opportunity when you first had the chance?”
Ally took in a deep breath, processing the new information. “And let me guess...I’m going to take a stab in the dark and say Felix just so happens to be that research team you were talking about?”
“Well what would lead you to that guess?” Ryker’s smile hadn’t shifted any—it unnerved her greatly. It had looked the part of a fairy-tale gone wrong in all the worst possible ways.
She looked back up to him and hardened her look, “That seems to be how these sort of things go. Go on, I’m already expecting it at this point. You’d be surprised by how little surprises come to me now.”
“No no no,” Ryker began, chuckling. “I hate to say it dearie, but he’s in a much different field than those eggheads and even than myself. You see, those investigating the underworld is only a leg of the entire whole, you get me? It’s not uncommon to know a variety of people who are deep in multiple specialties and others who specialize in just the one that fancies them most. That boy there, he’s definitely much of the latter. I have seen him around enough to know that not much would distract from his goals. There are beasts much fouler than your mind could describe that he’s hunting after—has been ever since he showed up on the doorstep of the guild three years ago. Though as of late I hear he went on an expedition for one of his hunts, hadn’t heard if he returned yet or not. We’d see once we got there,” he shrugged.
Of course...with how things ended that only made sense. The last time she had seen Felix was back in Home when she had encountered Issachar. She was finally about to get some answers and Felix had followed her out to that old church Father Grimsby ran his Sunday services in. Of course, Issachar hadn’t known the details of their relationship or the abilities Felix had access to. He freaked and sent them both far, far away. That was when...
“My…” Ryker said. “I guess you do know a fashion more than your nature lets on,” he smiled and she had enough.
“Quit looking into my mind!” Ally said. “It’s not yours to know.”
“Well I can’t quite abide by rules I don’t so much want to, now can I? You’re going to have to close me out if you don’t wish to be assailed so simply—especially if we’re going to be going to a place full of chromages. That kind of attitude would have you laughed out of every building you stepped foot in. Surely that’s not a way to get what you want, no?”
Ally looked affronted at this. “Look, first of all I never agreed to this. You keep putting the words in my mouth.”
“Ah, but by taking them from your mind, you see? I don’t say anything you haven’t thought, no? You standing here is saying just as much.”
She stared back at him as that devilish grin turned back toward her.
Ryker stared at her with a knowing look. His lips tightened and he shook his head. “You have, by continuing conversation—by not turning heel and running as fast as your brain is telling you. You know your goal is to come along with me and you know it’s not the wisest thing...yet that’s just the thing. It’s the wisest act you’ll do all day.” He started packing up his materials—gathering the cloth and bundling it up. “Now is the time to make your decision...or rather, it is time for you to act on the decision you’ve already made.”
Jace appeared at her side for the first time since she had started talking to the man. “Ally…I don’t like this, but it seems like this guild has plenty of answers for you,” Ally turned to him subtly but she knew Ryker had glanced at him.
“Ah...this is continuing to be a surprise that has piqued my interest,” he folded the cloth and started bending the table and folding it up. “Well then, you mind asking your fellow to help an older man carry his wares?” He flashed that grin again.
Ally’s eyes shot to Jace and the unasked question was simple enough an answer. He nodded and floated over to the table and lifted it, fading slowly—taking the table with him.
“Interesting…” Ryker scanned the space the table had inhabited. “And I am to believe that this strange holding space is where that great power of yours is hidden…” His look turned from avarice to confusion.
“Enough of your prodding,” Jace’s voice flowed softly through Ally’s thoughts. “I will act as a shield from your intrusions.”
A nasty look crossed his face and he shook it off—facing away from her. “Fine. Let’s go, then. I’ve worn out my welcome here.”
~...~
It was a matter of time until they reached the town that stood out to all others Ally had seen. Where towns and cities had been functional and efficient—they had certainly evolved a lot since the mud and wood huts that most people had to cling to when they were flung into the new world.
Achrom was something entirely different. It was far in the northeast—it had taken Ally and Ryker two and a half weeks to make it back. She stopped and stared at the marvel that stood before her. The city was large—sprawling was the right word for it. Enforal in its height was the closest she had seen to a place like this—Enforal may have been larger overall...but this was something else entirely.
Colors filled her vision and the central building seemed like a dome in how everything was built around it—it had looked like the city was built from the innermost point outward.
The buildings around were all emblazoned with the similar symbol of the eye and each one seemed to glow with a golden hue in the sunlight. As she looked at it closer...there wasn’t any sort of cloth, just the eyes burning like a pyre.
“The closer you look at them the more you’ll feel its meaning,” Ryker said, he was walking up toward the center of the square. “You start to see it when you close your eyes—that’s when you know.”
“Know what?” Ally asked.
“Know when you’ve begun to drink the kool-aid,” Jace scoffed.
“Know what true safety feels like,” Ryker said. “It’s one of the first feats I performed when I arrived here—really impressed the folks who had been here before me.”
“So, this sleazeball wasn’t the first one here?” Jace asked.
Ryker grinned, “Your friend can address me directly. I can hear you—even if you act as a guard. And I trust you can understand me?”
Jace gritted his teeth. His lack of a response was response enough, it seemed.
“Anyway,” Ryker continued on, turning on his heels toward the both of them. “No, I was not the first to come here—far from it, but I am one of the most talented. I have earned the title of Archromage these past nineteen years.”
“I don’t understand the hierarchy so that doesn’t mean too much to me I’m afraid,” Ally said.
He looked deflated from her comment. “No worry, it’s understandable. There are tiers one can attain based on their power and innate magical ability. Magic tends to flow strongest through those that are aligned with the chroma—the elements you see in everything around you. First are those who have no innate magical abilities. Nothing in life is certain and these may change with time and experience, but until then you are considered Achroma—or without color.”
“Kinda like the name of this place, huh?”
“Quite right. Achrom and Achroma stem from the same source—this place too was without color—metaphorically speaking until the Exarchromage settled in and drew out the natural elements for those like us to attune to. The land was barren before 2024 I am told.”
“Going off of your comment that would mean you came into the picture around 2026,” Ally said.
“Yes, correct. It was about mid June if we are still using the old time—people seem to shift if they like to or not, you see. To some folks the start of the new world should be the start of a new calendar system, yet they never seem to think past just restarting the year count at 0...the silly fools. So you could say I arrived on the fourth year.”
“Yeah...I don’t like that,” Ally said. “Makes it seem too reductive for the time before...like nothing before this world mattered.”
“I agree with not liking it,” Ryker said. “But I disagree on your reasoning. I simply think it is cleaner for my memory personally to continue what we had going, but I am in full favor of erasing that past entirely.” He grinned and she had the image of all that money spilling out onto the highway. She still felt unnerved by his tone.
“There’s something about that memory that is off with me,” Ally said to Jace. “Don’t answer me back in anything that’ll reveal what I’m thinking about,” she added in at the last moment.
“It is concerning,” Jace said.
“Concern is nothing you need to lay out here,” Ryker said, playing off of Jace’s thoughts. “Anyway, more and more people started to pool together and build up the community and eventually formed the guild. Those with natural talent are called chromages—this I mentioned. Everyone who can perform these feats, you and I included, are considered chromages. You would be considered unregistered until we enter the main building and take care of that, of course. Then, those who are able to demonstrate a significant prowess and potential with their abilities are allowed to receive the title of Archromage—and are thus allowed to perform their magic outside of the bounds of the guild—whereas normal chromages would find it difficult to so much as even lift a pebble without assistance from the guild.”
“So, by being able to do what I can do that would mean I am at the same level as you?” Ally asked.
The question brought an uncomfortable look on Ryker’s face. “It would suggest you have more ability in you than a typical chromage, but I would hardly think it would put you anywhere near my level.”
“Arrogant git,” Jace thought to Ally, and the look shot from her to him.
“Then,” he said loudly, making it clear he was going to ignore the comment. “Comes the Exarchromage. She stands above us all with abilities unlike any have ever seen. She is the one I admit has power beyond even my own.”
“She seems like a very talented individual,” Ally said, and then began to think. What kind of power would someone like that even have?
“Well, that about sums it up. Chromages fill the lot here by the dozen, six Archromages and myself wander across the continent doing the work we set out to do from the guild, and the Exarchromage handles the lot here for everyone else to perform,” Ryker explained. “And with that out of the way, we should—”
“Wait a second,” Ally started. “You mean that your job for the guild as an archromage is begging in the streets fortune telling?”
Ally hoped to off-balance the man by questioning his methods, but he still returned that damned smile.
“My efforts in Draymont are nothing more than an extracurricular I perform in order to scout out new talent. Those like yourself have an affinity toward the spiritual arts and so packing down from town to town in a close area allows me to sense those like yourself and hopefully draw you in. I won’t lie and say making a silver or two doesn’t hurt, but in according to any missions we take that send us afar we are to scout particular regions of the continent. Of course, those regions always have to be recontextualized whenever a new archromage comes into the picture which is highly irritating as the meetings never seem to cease...yet that is more than you need to know as you have more important matters to tend to, no?”
Ally almost felt as if he were threatened by her powers...that idea seemed to make some of his off-putting comments make more sense in addition to his redirects. But at the end of the day he was right. She did have more important things to think about than upstaging this charlatan.
Together they walked into the center-most building and Ally suddenly began to feel anxious. A wave of tension rushed over her and Jace noticed immediately.
“Is he here?”
“Your friend seems to certainly be back from his expedition,” Ryker said, nodding in her direction. “We will meet with him shortly, I promise you that. He will find you in due time I have no doubt. Chromages have a sense about those they’re familiar with nearby. He may doubt his feelings at first but it will in time eat away at him until he confirms such. Before that can happen though you must meet with the Exarchromage and registration must begin.”
“I have no desire to register as a guild member,” Ally said.
“Do not worry, you would not be tasked with typical guild work—did you think I know not that you would refuse any such proposition if offered due to your priorities?”
His question made her feel dumb, and she hated him for it.
“No, like I previously explained I would have you registered to pool together the resources of the guild and your innate talents—I told you it would attract others from the outside to feel a presence like one I get from you, no? Plus, it would allow us to get an active read on you in case you decide to start threatening civilians at any point in the future,” he looked at her to gauge her reaction. “I’m not saying you would, but it’s happened before and we would like to accurately know what we’re dealing with should the situation arise. Besides...it must interest you, what kind of latent abilities you have dormant, no?”
The truth of the matter was that it had eaten away at her—just how strong she could get...although she was more sure of herself now than she had been in times past. She had Jace and Leptous’ blessing in her corner—she knew that she was stronger than any normal person would be...and yet...knowing exactly how much would help strengthen that conviction even further, even if she had to reveal that to the others present. I just hope the only one I have to worry about is Ryker here…
But that wouldn’t be true no matter what—because Felix was here. Ally felt his presence, and in the back of her mind she reached out for him...and she felt him respond.
“Allison?”