Thayde and I remained huddled under a mammoth-like blanket, our fingers intertwined, our heads resting together. The night flew by and halfway through The Return of the Jedi, I glanced at Thayde whose head had fallen back against the couch. His dark hair fell away from his gaunt face and I resisted the urge to brush the back of my hand against his cheek.
“He’s got to heal, Morgandy, and sleep is the best way.” Mom said in a hushed tone. “He’ll heal faster now that you’ve started it but he won’t be himself for a while.” Mom shifted Naira who had been asleep in her lap since the beginning of The Empire Strikes Back. “I think all of us better get a good night’s sleep and see what tomorrow brings.”
She was right. Aletheia and Lars said goodnight, retreating to their rooms upstairs. Jacob was practically snoring in the leather recliner across from where Thayde and I lay, encased in a flowery blanket that just looked ridiculous. Mom and Tammer each kissed me on the cheek before taking the stairs to the master bedroom. They made their way along the banister overlooking the living room, Tammer kissing Mom’s neck while she tried not to giggle and wake Naira. They were so happy to be together again.
There was no way I was going to be able to move Thayde, so I curled my legs up and leaned against his chest. How long would this feeling of contentment last? I prayed it would last for at least a little while longer. The last part of the film I remembered was Han Solo kissing Princess Leia.
Chapter Thirteen
Realization
We had two days of perfection. That was it. Then the voice returned. This time, instead of being afraid, I was angered. I was sick of whatever it was – I just wanted it to stop. If I was still hearing the voice, how strong was I really? Was the voice mine? Would it forever be in my head, like I was psycho or something? Is that what everyone hears when they doubt themselves?
I dressed in some pink sweatpants and pulled on a pair of forest green rain boots. I didn’t bother running a brush through my hair and I certainly didn’t look in the mirror – I knew I looked like something the cat dragged in. I needed to get out, get away, and focus on what was going on.
The lake called to me and I made my way down to the boulders where Naira and Sharlie regularly met. Leaning against an enormous boulder, I tucked my knees under my chin and stared across the lake. The trees were already glistening in gold and ruby red. McCall was going to have an Indian Summer.
“You are not The Link.” The voice suddenly resounded in my mind.
This voice couldn’t be from me. Why would I doubt myself? I knew I was The Link.
My mind raced with questions. The answer was sitting just within my reach, yet I couldn’t touch it. Who would have the power to do this? Once I received The Blessing, it was virtually impossible to control or kill me. Who would have the audacity? Who would wish me dead? Someone who was very confident in himself. Someone who had the patience to wait things out. Someone who wanted the power. Someone who felt it was his God-given right.
“Why do you say I’m not The Link?” I asked out loud, feeling a bit stupid.
“You’ve never been The Link. You are nobody.
“Who are you?” I asked.
“I am The Link.”
“You’re wrong,” I said firmly, “and I know you’re wrong because if you were The Link, you wouldn’t waste your time doing this.
I waited for it to answer and when it didn’t, I nearly laughed.
“Who are you?” I repeated, but my only answer was the sound of the early autumn wind as it swept between the rocks.
The answer hit me like a ton of bricks, making me sit bolt upright. It was simple: it was Herra. She was the one who was always behind the scenes, feeling things out, watching how the situations went. How ludicrous to not have realized sooner. She was ‘engineered’ to be The Link before she was born. Limus must have realized she was the one who had all the brains from early on. Akin was strong, but he was nowhere near as intelligent as Herra; he was all action. Herra was always quiet and observant.
“Morgan?” Tammer’s worried voice snapped me back to reality. “What’s going on?” He stood on the rocks above me, bundled in a fire engine red blanket, his hair equally as ludicrous. “What are you doing out here?”
“It’s Herra,” My voice was firm and loud. It seemed to echo across the lake.
“Herra?”
“It wasn’t Limus who did all this. It was Herra.”
“That’s impossible,” he shook his head as if trying to clear a bad thought.
“Think about it. She’s always been on the edge of everything, watching, waiting. Akin has been doing her dirty work for her from the very beginning. She’s the brains, he’s the brawn. You couldn’t find Akin and Herra when you tracked Limus down and his memory was wiped clean of the events that took place. All that was left was his hatred for Thayde. He brought Herra up believing she’d be The Link. When the powers were given to me, we didn’t see her again. She’s playing it safe.”