Catalyst
POV: Alexandra
Derek and Jess came back alone not long after they left. We were all very confused as to why Whisperia wouldn’t come. Jess had explained what Whisperia had told her and we all resolved that I would request that Blake send Panshad and Zeb to Blackwood for their assistance. We all believed this would garner faster results. I left the room to write the letter to Blake so I could get it into the post for the day. Luckily, they hadn’t come yet and I wouldn’t have much time before they did come. I made my way to my room quickly and pulled out my stationary and began to write:
“To my dear friend Blake,
I know it is sudden to ask you this but do you think you can send Panshad and Zeb to Blackwood? We need their kind assistance with an investigation for my grandfather that His Majesty has sanctioned through the Citadel. Their assistance is needed to help regain my uncle’s memories to find a young man that is a ward to my family that my father is intending to blood pact with. Would you be able to spare your ward and Zeb at this time? If so, can you please send them soonest?
Alexandra”
I quickly placed the letter in the envelope and sealed it with my family seal. I ran down the stairs while holding my side since it still hurt to do anything other than walk. The door was opened and Dana was speaking to the Toxzi rider. She gasped as she saw me barrelling down the stairs, “Be careful, young miss! We don’t need you opening your wound!” I held out the letter to the rider as I was catching my breath, “If I didn’t need to get this out today, I would have been slower.” The rider took the letter from me, “Your Grace, I assume you need this delivered as soon as possible. I’ve been told to ensure your correspondence gets where it needs to by your sense of urgency.” I fished a few coins out of my pocket and held them out to him, “Yes, absolutely. Here’s a tip for your expedient service.” I dropped the coins into his hand and he gasped, “This is far too much, Your Grace!” I shook my head at him, “I know it probably takes time away from your family to get this where it needs to go quickly. I know money doesn’t compensate you for it but at least you can buy your girls something nice.” He smiled at me, “Thank you kindly, Your Grace. It’s very nice of you to remember my daughters. Now if you’ll excuse me, I shall get this to His Highness now.”
A few hours later a portal opened up outside of Blackwood. Two women stepped out of the portal and Blake stepped out after them. I had not expected to see him but honestly, it was a visit to Blackwood so I should have expected it. I walked out of the front door to greet them. Blake stepped in front of the women, “Alexandra, I had heard of your grandfather’s illness. I am sorry to hear about your pain. I have brought Panshad and Zeb as requested.” I curtsied to him, “Thanks, Your Highness. I will have to have someone summon Whisperia now so that we can get the investigation moved forward. Also since it is getting later, I had Dana set you all up a room if you choose to stay. I am not entirely sure we can coax Whisperia out of her home this late. Jess said that she likes to sleep early and wake early so she might actually be asleep now. We also have dinner ready if you are hungry.” Blake smiled at me, “We shall stay then. You can drop the honorifics, Alexandra. We are amongst friends here.” He stepped forward and wrapped his arms around me, “I’m so glad to see that you are up and about after your injury. We were only trying to investigate The Order and who this mysterious assassin was. I suspect that assisting your investigation will help with ours in a way.” Panshad nodded, “We believe helping Talon recover his memories will benefit us as well.” I looked at her, “Do you understand what we are investigating Panshad?” She looked up at Blake confused, “No, I don’t.” He nodded at me to proceed, “We are looking for your brother Tyleesh.” Her eyes widened, “Tyleesh is missing? I had thought Mr. Darren had sent him to some noble family as he did to my mother and me.”
Zeb stepped forward next to the young woman, “I was in Tarn when this all went down. Tyleesh was actually raised here in Blackwood as a ward of Darren. How did he disappear, Your Grace?” I waved my arm to the house, “Why don’t we all sit down to dinner and I will explain to you in there?” The three followed me into the house where all the others were having dinner. My father rose from his seat as he saw Blake enter the room, “Your Highness, I am pleased to see you here. I had a feeling you would be here so I had Dana and the maids prepare our best room for you in the East Wing near Xan.” Blake smiled, “Please, you can all call me Blake while I am here. Thank you, Reggie. How is the family? I know that it cannot be hard to deal with an illness in the family.” My father looked down, “It is tough to lose one's father as you well know. We are trying to spend as much time with him as possible. That is why we have this sense of urgency to find Tyleesh before…” My mother reached to hold my father’s hand, “We are coping, Blake. As you can see, this is toughest on my husband.” Blake nodded, “Yes, I understand. Now, Alexandra, I believe you told us you would explain what happened with Tyleesh?” I nodded and told him the story of how he had left Blackwood to go on a tour of the realm to learn new magic. Teddy interjected about his experience with his teacher and how he had disappeared from Befent after having encountered a hooded man. The story finally came to the part where I would need to explain that the hooded man was, in fact, my uncle Talon. He was absent as we knew that he wouldn’t gain his memories tonight. He was living in the cottage with Vanessa so they opted to go home to rest and eat. I had not told my mother or Teddy that this was the case so I looked at both of them nervously before I spoke, “Derek found out through his investigation that the hooded man had a phoenix tattoo.” I looked at my mother whose eyes were widened with recognition and I nodded at her. I continued, “My uncle Talon happened to be with Derek at that time. He knew that the hooded man was an agent of The Order and that agent happened to be Zero.” Blake rubbed his chin, “So you’re saying Talon, when he was brainwashed, was the one who abducted Tyleesh. I’m guessing he doesn’t remember this?” I nodded and looked over at Teddy who was looking down and sighing. I knew at that moment that he was conflicted in his feelings about what I had just said. I looked over at Panshad to see what her reaction was and she sat with a determined look on her face.
The dinner continued on with the conversation going to the upcoming assembly where more would be eliminated. Blake had hoped that a certain lady would be eliminated while I silently wished that I wouldn’t. Ashton surmised that Toby’s sister would get eliminated and Toby shrugged it off. He said, “I am not entirely sure she was into being Queen anyhow. She had her eye on one of the soldiers at the Citadel.” I took this opportunity to find out who he liked, “So Toby, do you have your eye on anyone?” He looked around the room and blushed, “I hadn’t until recently but I met someone and I’m kind of into them. I just want to get to know them more.” I looked over at Teddy who was also blushing and silently wondered if the person he recently met was him. I would have to figure out who he meant later and maybe even offer him some help to hook them up. The conversation then lulled into small chats in small groups about menial things like weather, the odd gossip in Tarn, and makeup amongst the girls.
After dinner, everyone went to bed since we all knew that we would wake up early because of Whisperia’s early rise. Jess and Derek set out once again to go fetch Whisperia. They were sent via portal by Zeb so that they wouldn’t have to walk very far. The rest of us gathered, once again in my grandfather’s room, to wait for him. Panshad was eager to see him as well since he was something of a grandfather to her as well. She was younger than me but her maturity was beyond her years as she sat and visited with him. As they were visiting with each other, I found myself wondering if Panshad had been raised here in Blackwood like her brother, that she would have been blood pacted into our family as well. I looked over at Blake and wondered if he would continue to use her as his witch and not bring her into his family officially. Of course, that would have to go to his mother. I would ask him later when it was more appropriate. A portal opened up in the room and the three people we were expecting stepped out. Zeb stepped forward and hugged Whisperia, “It’s nice to see you again. Shall we get the memory spell started?” Whisperia nodded, “We need to do this on earth so this works. Follow me.” Zeb and Panshad followed Whisperia followed by Jess, Derek, and Talon. The room slowly emptied and it was just my grandfather and me. I turned to him, “We will find him, Gramps. I promise you this and we will find a way to rescue him.” He nodded then smiled at me, “You run along, little rose, and see if you can help out.” I stepped out of the room and walked down the stairs and went out to the backyard to the garden where everyone else was.
Whisperia had finished up her sentence, “Do you understand how this process works everyone?” Panshad, Zeb, and Talon all nodded at her with Talon saying, “I understand. I will need Alexandra for this though I think.” Whisperia looked over at me, “Alexandra, are you willing to be a catalyst for Talon’s memories? It might be hard but it would be even harder for Talon to remember these things and live with the guilt.” I looked at her, “Do you mean that you will store his lost memories in me?” She nodded, “Yes…that is if you agree to do so.” I looked at Talon, knowing that if he gained some of his memories back, it would destroy him. I looked back at her, “I will consent.” Blake stepped forward, “Hold on! I don’t know if that is the best idea. What if what Talon is storing is pretty dark and sends her into a dark spiral? I will take on the memories.” Whisperia sighed, “No, you cannot. The recipient needs to have a strong connection to the one we will cast a spell on. You don’t have much of a connection to Talon. The only ones who could take this on would be Alexandra, Talia, or Vanessa.” I walked over and sat next to Talon, “I won’t let my mother or Vanessa take on this burden. I think I am choosing to believe what my grandfather said and be the strong one.” I took Talon’s hand into mine and the three women gathered around us in a circle. They started to chant some language I didn’t understand and a glowing orb gathered around my uncle and me. A white wisp started to float out of his head as the chanting continued. The wisp made its way to my head and slowly I felt a warmth envelop my brain. Shortly after this warmth started to turn hot and sweat was starting to form on my head and the world went black.
