Chapter 36
The place I found myself next was the corner of two busy intersection on a downtown Boston Street just around the corner from the Celene foundation. I was in jeans, t-shirt and a down jacket with a baseball cap on my head. He, it must have read my mind and dressed me according to my memories. Ugh, I didn‘t like the idea of someone running around in my thoughts. It was cold, bitter cold and deep into winter with dirty snow on the ground and slush in the gutters. The sky was that pure blue that is too cold sot stay out in, the air made your lungs freeze. I took a deep breath, caught the tang of salt and river and knew I was home. The greatest part was that my arm was no longer in a cast and when I moved it, I found no evidence of broken bones, any residual weakness or pain. Even my black and blues were completely gone.
Walking carefully up the slippery sidewalk, I passed pedestrians that didn‘t give me a second glance or a cheery hello. Then, Boston in the snow on a cold afternoon didn‘t elicit a strong conversation, the chill made both cheeks and mouth burn. No one noticed me.
I walked two blocks to the main doors of the towers and twiddled the strings, touched the essence of the coin, but didn‘t use it nor alert any of the Dursvan , priests or Tree that I was o n its Threshold.
More mundanely, the security guards prevented me from casually waltzing inside, I‘m sure they were well aware of my looks to recognize me. I took the idea from the big dude. Made myself look like someone else, a friend from high school and slipped through the metal detector under the watchful eyes of the guards. Inside, the temperature was a comfortable 72° even just past the doors and the frigid outside. Tropical plants and flowers grew everywhere but I had eyes only for the Tree. The lobby was curiously frantic, as if everyone inside was preparing for a disaster and evacuation. No one spotted me until I was almost at the foot of the Tree. Heat waves came off it and made the air shimmer like a mirage. I stepped forward a half dozen strides, hands outstretched and dropped my parka at the very edge of her shadow. Voices trilled in alarm and shouts of STOP! penetrated my sudden concentration.
"NO! It‘ll harm you!" I recognized that voice, it was Revenal Juris and he was joined by one of the Elders who restrained him as I stepped into the penumbra of the Tree‘s influence. Her bark was pleasantly warm and thrummed. I put both hands on the smooth outer skin and then leaned my forehead into her. I fell into the Tree.
I didn‘t need to ask her anything, it was all out there for me to see and understand. I found a way to banish the Druz threat, diminish the Colonel‘s presence, let Murphy and all the others come and go on their own planes without danger or a terrible payment.
She wanted me to stay; I could not. Such an existence of only mental activity was not for me—no body, no air moving through my lungs, no sense of touch in my fingers or on my skin.
No, I wanted my thin envelope, the ability to feel pain as well as pleasure. I said goodbye and oozed myself back into the world that I considered real as each plane was to their inhabitants.
"Jadewyn," Juris said and stepped forward into my reach to pull me out of the Tree‘s embrace and led me to a door behind the retaining wall. Dazed, I let him manhandle me into a metal chair and check me over for damages. He rolled my hands over and inspected the palms, finding no evidence of any wounds, burns or hurts. "Where did you go, Jadewyn?" I was asked and hesitated before I spoke.
"To the heart of the Tree. Inside her, to ask her how to end this war."
"Did she tell you?" his face wore a look of intensity and I did not answer for I saw his fears in his eyes.
"Where are the Druz? Are they still a threat?" the others asked.
"Not to you or the other planes," I answered carefully.
"Does Fetherwyn know where you are?"
"No." I looked at Juris. "How did you get here? I left you on Celene and the Gates are closed."
"You called me hence, Lord Jadewyn, when you cried out for help. I was able to slip through a gate that was unknown."
"Who else?"
"Your friends and the Lady Zyperia. They wait upon your consent to enter here."
"Since when do they need permission to come into my room?"
"You barred the door behind us," he pointed out and I looked. Sure enough, the door was sealed shut with magical runes and metal gates. I wasn‘t aware that I had done that.
"How do I open it?" I muttered and waved a hand. The door burst open to let the four of them fall in on their hands and knees. We stared at each other and then I went to help them up.
Boy, did I get a tongue-lashing.