Chapter Seven

  “There is a common misconception that Type Is are the only division capable of discerning the subtle cues of the mind and body, but I assure you there are those among the Type IIs who are just as capable.”

  – Elysia Vosskan, Head of the Department of Innovation at Giaval’s Institute of Arcane Science

  ~*~

  To her surprise, the clothes she’d been given were not Kaedric’s. Instead, she found a blouse, a corset and a pair of black pants that were clearly meant for women. Had they been left behind by a sister or an old flame? Considering he lived here alone, there had to be some sort of story behind them. If she ever worked up the courage, she might ask her host about it later, but for now, she had other matters to concern herself with.

  Like her current lack of a proper bra.

  While she wasn’t particularly gifted in the chest, her ladies were rather, ah, evident. The long-sleeved blouse was clearly meant to be worn with the accompanying corset, which she supposed acted as a stand-in for said absent undergarment in this world. It was a simple piece dyed a deep brown to offset the cream of her blouse with black laces that thankfully tied down the front rather than the back or sides. Between her billowy sleeves and pants that were clearly meant to be worn with boots, she looked like a pirate or some Renfaire attendee. Minus the footwear, of course.

  Luckily, she’d been to a festival or two herself in recent years, so donning the corset properly was not a completely foreign concept. The damn thing was as tight as she remembered, but at least it took care of her cleavage issue. So long as she didn’t take too deep of a breath, she’d be fine, right?

  Once she was satisfied, she peered back into the main living space with her borrowed cloak in hand. Kaedric was still in the kitchen, back dutifully facing her while he fussed around with something she couldn’t see. She shifted her weight from one foot to the other, grimacing at the way the movement aggravated her sores.

  “I’m decent,” she said, clearing her throat.

  The man turned to her and looked her over with a nod.

  “You’re looking refreshed,” he said, gesturing toward the small dining table where an array of medical supplies had been arranged. There was even a pair of thick, woolen socks, “We should see to your feet. Infection is a nasty business.”

  “I can only imagine what I picked up while I was wandering around out there,” she said, wobbling her way over.

  She set his cloak aside before taking a seat and crossing one ankle over her knee to take a peek at her toes for herself. Maybe using her detect life skill would be worthwhile in this instance? The skin was clearly agitated, but she didn’t see any signs of infection yet. Which didn’t mean nothing had been introduced, it simply hadn’t had enough time to develop and gain a foothold. No pun intended, of course.

  Fortunately, activating a skill, much like summoning her spiritbook, took no more than a thought. She held a hand over her upturned foot, focusing on whatever tiny beasties might be hiding along the cuts and sores. Her skin prickled when she sensed them– the tiny colonies of bacteria festering within the wounds. Her knowledge of the microorganisms was inherent, somehow, and though she did not know the exact names of the bacteria, she knew on some intuitive level they were not in the least bit beneficial.

  “Well, that’s definitely useful,” she said under her breath.

  When she withdrew her hand and sat back, she noticed Kaedric had stopped to stare. He had a wooden bowl in hand along with what appeared to be a soft towel. His brows were furrowed, expression pensive.

  “What are you doing?” He asked.

  “Detecting life, apparently,” she said, “Why? What’s wrong?”

  His lips parted as he looked to the door, then back at her.

  “You’re a Type III?”

  It wasn’t so much a question as it was an accusation.

  “Type III? What are you talking about?”

  “What’s your gemcore?”

  “I don’t even know what you’re–”

  “Your gemcore, Miss Lockard,” he said, an edge to his voice.

  She stared at him for a long moment, wondering what it was that had provoked him.

  “Animite,” she said. She might not know exactly what it meant, but she’d made sure to memorize most of what the book had shown her.

  A shaky breath escaped Kaedric’s lips as he raked his free hand through his hair.

  “Shit,” he muttered.

  A growing sense of unease built in Liv’s chest.

  “What? What is it?” She asked.

  The sudden sharpness in his brown eyes pinned her where she sat and a shiver raced up her spine.

  “Why were you out in those woods?” He demanded.

  She flinched, “I told you, I was lost.”

  “That’s hardly an answer.”

  “What do you want me to say?”

  “What I want is the truth. There are only two types of people with a gemcore like yours anymore and they’re either priests or fugitives, so which are you?”

  “Neither,” she insisted as she sat forward and placed both feet upon the ground, “I’m just a waitress. I’m not running from anything.”

  He glanced toward the stone tile at her feet in what might have been confusion.

  “And you’re not a priestess of some sort?” He asked, taking a step closer.

  “No!”

  The notion was utterly ridiculous.

  His lips thinned. “Fine. How did you come to be lost, then?”

  The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

  Liv sat back in her chair, hesitating. Would he even believe her if she told him what happened? The more she considered it, a far more frightening possibility arose: what if he did believe her? What if she’d unknowingly violated some interdimensional law? She’d accidentally stolen an artifact of clearly some import, so maybe she really was a fugitive? Shit, would he turn her in?

  “If I tell you the truth, what happens to me?” She asked.

  “That depends entirely on what you’re about to say,” he said.

  She scowled at him, but she couldn’t really argue. He’d taken her into his home, after all, helped her where he could have simply left her to fend for herself. It was a kindness he had been offered freely. An explanation was the least she could offer him and if she told him the whole of what happened and things still went south . . . she’d simply have to figure it out from there.

  “Fine. You want the truth?” She asked, crossing her arms, “Less than a day ago, the catering company I work for was serving a private event. While we were there, one of my stupid co-workers snuck off to go lock lips with one of the guests. That sort of thing isn’t exactly good for business, so I went to go find her, only I never did. Instead, I found myself in some sort of private museum with a bunch of spooky shit and this strange, glowing crystal. I touched it and the next thing I know, I’m waking up in the middle of a forest with a tattooed arm and some magical journal claiming to be my spiritbook. I haven’t the faintest idea where I am, but it clearly isn’t home.”

  Each word had stumbled out faster than the last and by the time she finished, Olivia’s breath had turned ragged. She placed a hand on her chest, cursing the sudden tightness within both it and her throat. Much as she wanted to blame her corset, her anxiety was the true culprit. The inklings of her panic attack had been lurking beneath the surface for hours and her forced positivity and mental diversions were only putting off what seemed like the inevitable.

  She wiped at her eyes in an effort to soothe the sting before the true tears began, averting her eyes from Kaedric and focusing her sight elsewhere. He stood there, quiet in his observation for what seemed like a damn eternity until he sighed and set the wooden bowl he’d been holding upon the edge of the table. He pulled out one of the other chairs and angled it across from her own.

  Stiffening, she flicked her attention back to her host.

  “Aren’t you going to say something?” She asked, cursing the break in her voice.

  He sat, leaned back in his seat and slowly rubbed a hand over his stubble. His thousand-yard stare resolved itself as he met her eyes and searched her face. His brows were still furrowed, but his former accusation had disappeared from his expression.

  Sighing through his nose, he leaned forward with his elbows on his knees, “I believe you.”

  He did?

  Why did he look so resigned?

  “That’s it? You believe me, just like that? No questions asked?”

  “Oh, I have plenty of questions,” he said, fixing her with a look, “but I won’t waste my breath asking for something I already know the truth of.”

  “How could you possibly know?”

  He tapped two fingers to his chest, “I have a geolite gemcore. While yours is aligned with cultivation, mine belongs to the earth. I can read a truth from a lie.”

  “How?” She asked.

  He nodded toward the stonework tile, “I have a skill called stonesense. Usually, it helps me detect different vibrations in the earth, but if someone is standing on soil or stone, I can feel the subtle cues of their body too.”

  She huffed a laugh, both amazed and mildly annoyed, “So you’re what, some sort of human lie detector?”

  He nodded.

  “I guess that explains the lack of wood floors,” she muttered.

  “I couldn’t stand walking around on such flimsy material all day,” he said, shuddering, “The deck is one thing, but the interior of my own home is another.”

  “Mm, something tells me you’d hate the highrises where I’m from. But then again, they’re usually made from concrete and metal, so maybe you’d be right at home?”

  “Maybe. Where is home, exactly?”

  “Earth. At least, that's what the planet is called.”

  He raised an eyebrow. “You're from a planet named Earth? A bit uninspiring, don't you think?”

  Liv held her hands up, “Don't look at me, I didn't name it?”

  “Whoever did deserves a demotion.”

  “Well, if I ever find the person responsible, I'll pass on the sentiment,” she said.

  She could have sworn he smirked before he gestured to her right arm, “Those are the tattoos, then?”

  “I noticed you eyeing them in the woods. Do you know what they are?” She asked, rubbing a hand over the slightly raised skin.

  “It looks like an artifact brand to me,” he said, “Do you not have similar things where you’re from?”

  She shook her head, “Magic is more a myth than anything. We don’t have gemcores or spiritbooks or skills. Well, not outside of video or card games, I suppose.”

  “Your world sounds less and less appealing each time you talk about it,” Kaedric said.

  “I’m starting to think the same,” she admitted, then tilted her head and narrowed her eyes a moment, “You’re taking this all a little too well for someone who's just been told about an entirely different reality existing outside of his own.”

  He shrugged, “The possibility of other worlds and realities has been theorized by the Magisterium before. I could say the same of you, though. You’re the one that was actually transported from one to another.”

  She rubbed at her cheek, “Fair enough. Honestly, I’m not even sure I’ve fully processed that fact. Maybe it has to do with how familiar everything is? The trees, the mountains, the farms, hell, even the people. Aside from a few details, it’s all perfectly normal to me. Now, if you were some giant talking cat or some lanky, purple alien, maybe I’d have more of an issue.”

  “Thankfully, I am neither, last I checked.”

  That earned a half-hearted laugh on Liv’s part, “Thankfully.”

  “What are the people like from your world?” He asked.

  “The same as yours, I’d imagine. At least as far as appearances go,” she said, gesturing between them, “There are a few variations in skin tones and facial structures, but they’re not all that different from you and I.”

  He tilted his head, “Are they the only sentient species?”

  “I suppose that depends on who you ask. Dolphins and whales and plenty of other animals are smarter than most people give them credit for, but most don’t believe they really compare to humans. Why? Don’t tell me you have elves and dwarves and all that?”

  “Well, I can’t speak to whatever those are, but we do have the animalis,” he said.

  Now, Liv’s latin was a bit rusty, but she was fairly certain that meant animal or something like it. Were they different from beasts, then? If that was the case . . .

  Her eyes widened, “Are you telling me you have a bunch of animal-human hybrids running around?”

  “In a sense, I suppose,” he said, “But I wouldn’t run around calling them that. It’s rude.”

  She winced, “Sorry. I’ll keep that in mind when I’m in the city.”

  He pursed his lips, “I’m not sure going into Ralencia is a good idea.”

  “Because people with gemcores like mine are either priests or fugitives?” She guessed.

  “And because you know nothing about where you are.”

  “I can get by,” she argued.

  He crossed his arms, “Alright, then tell me what a surgence is.”

  She hadn’t the faintest idea and he knew it.

  “That’s what I thought,” he said, “How old are you, anyway?”

  “Twenty-six. Why? Is there some sort of age-bias I should know about?”

  Kaedric watched her for a silent moment, gaze brimming with resignation, pity and what might have been a hint of jealousy. Then, he cast his attention elsewhere and sighed carefully through his nose. If she didn’t know any better, the man seemed like he was about to tell her someone had died.

  Right as she opened her mouth to speak, he said, “No one on this continent is younger than two-hundred and nineteen, Liv.”

  Her brow furrowed, for that didn’t make any sense.

  “You’re toying with me,” she said.

  His sore chuckle bordered on something pained, “I wish I was.”

  “There’s no one younger? No babies, no kids, not even any teens?”

  He shook his head, “Not since the surgence.”

  Liv blinked, “I. . . I don’t understand.”

  “Which is why you shouldn’t be out there on your own. You may be able to slip by, but what happens when you ask the wrong question? Cross the wrong person? You know nothing about where you are and that, more than I think you realize, is dangerous. Especially in a place like this.”

  Her cheeks warmed at the hint of embarrassment his words evoked. He wasn’t wrong, she was completely out of her element here, but admitting that somehow made her feel like an idiot. A child. But, she supposed ignorance and stupidity were two different things. One could be fixed with enough time and information.

  “Then what am I supposed to do? Sit here and wait for a miracle to happen? I need to find someone who can help me and no offense, but I don’t think you have the sort of answers I need.”

  A muscle along his jaw ticked as he sat back in his seat, “You’re right, I’m not. But, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t know someone who might.”