Sahara Ashdell: Rebirth of Patreek (Book 3)
Chapter 8: A Broken Heart

Sahara steps down from her carriage in her red colored Malorsty gown. She hates the color because she thinks she looks like a giant strawberry with her red hair. She pulls up her small purse to shuffle through it and replaces a hair pin for the small strand of hair that has fallen into her face. As she tries to walk, she feels her feet unable to move suddenly. She looks down and sees colorful guble surrounding her feet just like it had been the first time she arrived here two years ago. She looks up to see Brystol dressed in his red fourth year shirt a few feet from her with a smile. “Hey.”

She is not sure if she is annoyed by what he has done or not. “Really?” She motions down toward the guble. She did not want to bump into him so soon.

He moves closer to her as he waves his hand toward the guble and it disappears. He keeps his small smile as he shrugs his shoulder in response, “I couldn’t resist.”

She felt more nervous around him than she ever had before. She had not seen him since she teleported to Hexaria. She stayed silent because she couldn’t think of a single thing to say to him.

“How were your last few days at Yetya?” He asked politely.

Sahara felt herself relax at the thought of him not questioning why she vanished without a goodbye. “Better than expected. I finished training my Slewbo and named it Trina.”

“You still miss the human world?” Brystol asked with compassion.

Sahara laughed as she thought about how mistreated she was by the Craigs. “No way. I named it Trina because it is stubborn.” She notices Brystol’s ears are fully grown with points now. “You will be eighteen in a few days.”

“I will.” Brystol nods in agreement with her statement.

She wonders what turning eighteen means for them, but she is not sure how to ask. “I am not ready to marry you.” She realizes the words just fell out of her mouth and seemed rude.

“Are you nervous?” He asks reaching for her hand.

“No.” She replies nervously pulling her hand away from his. She knows that she can’t pretend to have feelings for him.

“Don’t worry,” He gives her an odd look at her pulling away from him, “We both have to be eighteen.” She manages to keep her hand from him and is thankful to see Mecca coming towards them.

“Hey Mecca!” She says in excitement and runs over to hug her. She had missed her friends all summer.

“Hey Sahara!” Mecca hugs her in return before acknowledging Brystol. “Hey Brystol.”

“Hi.” Sahara notices Brystol sounds a bit distant.

“Bularia has been looking for you.” Mecca says pulling her with her toward the entrance. All Sahara can think of is the vision she had of Bularia last week and how Patreek had her. She had hoped the vision was not true, but since her travels to the Underverse were real, she knew what she saw of Patreek had to be real also.

“Sahara! Finally!” Carol wraps her arms around Sahara surprising her.

“Hi!” Sahara smiles at Marol, Phylan, Bularia, Creegah, and Carol. “I missed you all so much.” She hugs her remaining friends as they enter the hall.

Sahara notices a familiar figure with blonde hair moving down the hall away from her. “It is him.” She says briskly moving towards the figure. It was the same blonde figure she had seen last year before killing Raglen.

“Sahara?” She hears Brystol’s confused voice from behind her. “Where are you going?”

Sahara ignores Brystol as she continues moving through the crowd of students trying to keep her eyes on the blonde figure. Suddenly, Wasteland appears in her path with her arms crossed and looking smug. Sahara attempts to move around her, but Wasteland continues to move with her blocking the path. “Move!” Sahara demands in a slight panic realizing she has lost the figure she was chasing.

“You think since you are an Aranal that you can boss me around?” Wasteland says in a haughty tone.

“Actually, that does mean she can.” Brystol arrives next to Sahara and defends her. “In fact, in seven months she will be your Tari. So, perhaps you should consider showing a bit more respect because one day you may need our help and you just may not replace it.”

Sahara sighs heavily realizing the figure is nowhere in sight now. She turns to Wasteland and asks, “Why do you hate me so?” You hated me from the moment you met me before you even knew who I was. Before Brystol and I ever were together. So, please explain what I ever did to deserve this kind of treatment from you?”

Wasteland’s face alters from anger to a more thoughtful look. “Because I am the only one that can see you for what you really are.”

“And what am I exactly?” Sahara asks defensively crossing her arms.

“The reason.” Wasteland says simply with a small smile.

“The reason?” Sahara felt confused by the statement. “The reason for what?”

“The reason our world is on the brink of destruction.” Wasteland says stepping closer toward Sahara.

“That was before you knew who I was.” Sahara laughed knowing it would aggravate Wasteland.

“I just knew.” Wasteland says throwing her nose up in the air before moving around Sahara and Brystol.

Sahara scans the hallway for the blonde figure again but doesn’t see it and feels aggravated by losing sight of them. “What is up?” Brystol asks mimicking her and also looking around the hallway.

“You remember when we defeated Raglen there was an elf leaving and we only saw the back of them?” She asks, looking defeated as Brystol nods his head in remembrance. “I just saw that elf again.”

Brystol looks unbelievingly as he looks around the large crowd in the hallway. “Are you certain? That was months ago, how could you remember if it were….” He doesn’t finish before Sahara cuts him off.

“I know it was the same elf, Brystol!” She says offended. “The walk was the same, the hair. Height. Everything.”

“Alright.” Brystol says, taking hold of her hand. “Then maybe we can spot him again. Which way.”

“Before Wasteland rudely jumped in front of me, I had seen him over there.” She points toward the end of the hall next to the door where the large fish tank resides. “Perhaps he went inside?” Sahara asks excitedly as she pulls Brystol with her towards the door.

Brystol pauses briefly as they arrive at the door, and he places his hand on the door handle. “What if it is him? What is our plan here?

“I just need to know who it is. There is no plan.” Sahara says moving his hand out of the way and opening the door herself. As they step into the room, they are stunned to see the room filled with all the Saitars as if they were having a meeting. The room was buzzing for only a moment before all the Saitar eyes fell on Sahara and Brystol. The room grew silent.

Sahara swallows hard as Headorean Shawdlortur steps forward and speaks scoldingly toward them. “What is the meaning of this?”

Brystol glances at Sahara, who seems frozen in shock, and he comes up with a quick reply. “Our apologies, we were looking for Verdiwild. Has he arrived yet?”

“As you are aware Cundu, he arrived in the carriage with you earlier.” Shawdlortur looks at him with squinted eyes.

“Yes. Correct. But, I take it he is not in here. So, I apologize and will look elsewhere for him.” Brystol says nervously as he forces Sahara’s body to turn back to leave. “Carry on.” He says waving his hand toward the room of Saitars with an awkward smile before quickly closing the door behind him. “Well, that was awkward.” He says feeling relieved to be back out in the hallway. He glances down at Sahara realizing she is still frozen in thought. “What is wrong?”

“It is one of them.” Sahara says quietly.

“One of them?” Brystol asks wondering who she is talking about before he realizes what she means, and he feels his heart quicken. “It is a Saitar.”

“Saitar Regald.” Sahara says remembering his blonde hair and how she had always suspected him of being able to use telepathy. Her body suddenly feels heavy, and she falls back against the wall to hold her up.

“No.” Brystol says shaking his head in disbelief.

“It makes sense now.” Sahara says with sadness. “It all makes sense.” She knew there had to be an inside elf using telepathy on Bularia last year. Regald pushed her to try telepathy and then he got angry when she later accused him of having telepathy. “It all makes sense.” She repeats.

“You can’t accuse a Saitar, Sahara.” Brystol says quietly as he looks around the busy hallway. “What if you are wrong?”

“I’m not wrong.” Sahara says, looking him boldly in the eyes as she stands back up from the wall.

Brystol looks around the busy hallway again before locating a different door. He grabs hold of her hand and pulls her with him toward the door.

“What are you doing?” Sahara asks in protest.

“Just get in.” Brystol demands as he opens the door revealing an empty room. Sahara complies with his demand and Brystol joins her in the dark room before closing the door.

“What are we…” Sahara tries to ask a question, but Brystol shushes her as he causes a light to appear in the dark room. Then he casts a privacy spell around them.

“Why are you so sure it is Saitar Regald?” Brystol asks still sounding as though he doesn’t believe it.

“Think about it. He is the perfect height. Weight. The right color of hair. And he has always seemed off to me anyway. Somewhat dark. He tried to force me to use telepathy before I even knew I had it. Why would he do that?” Sahara asks, feeling confident in her accusation.

“Maybe he was just doing his job and testing to see how powerful you were. That does not incriminate him Sahara. And there are at least two other Saitar’s that have blonde hair and not to mention tons of students with similar features.”

“A student wouldn’t be strong enough to control Bularia like that!” Sahara protests.

“Assume you are right.” Brystol says looking annoyed. “How would we prove it was him?”

“I don’t know.” She knew she would need to figure that part out.

“Perhaps we should speak with Verdiwild about it.” Brystol suggests.

“No,” Sahara said clearly. “Not until I have more proof.”

“This is a dangerous game you are playing.” Brystol sounds as though he is warning her and she can’t help but feel annoyed by how loving he sounds toward her.

“When have I ever not played a dangerous game?” Sahara asks teasingly but she then quickly feels alarmed as Brystol’s expression grows softer and he steps closer to her.

“I haven’t really gotten to give you a proper hello.” He says as Sahara steps back away from him wanting to avoid the kiss she knows he is after.

“Um.” She feels herself bumping into a table, but it does not stop her from moving around behind it so that it stands between her and Brystol.

“What is wrong with you?” Brystol asks, looking offended.

“Nothing.” She says removing the veil from the room so that she can exit quicker.

“Then why do you keep acting like you can’t stand me?” Brystol asks, looking hurt.

Sahara debates telling him how she feels but she doesn’t want to hurt his feelings or tell him what she did with her feelings for him. As he stands there silently, she decides to fess up. “I don’t have feelings for you anymore.”

“Just like that?” Brystol looks unbelievingly toward her.

“Just like that.” She says shrugging her shoulders.

“Did I make you angry or something?”

“No.” She answers honestly.

“So, what are you saying Sahara?” He gets a sudden look of heartbreak on his face.

“I no longer have feelings for you. That was the payment.”

“Payment?” He now looks more confused than anything Sahara notes.

“I gave my feelings for you to save you.” Sahara knows she should feel ashamed of doing so, but she doesn’t. She thinks perhaps it is because she doesn’t really care what Brystol thinks of her or not. Brystol’s silence is even annoying, she thinks before she speaks again, “That is why you are ok now. And I don’t love you. I don’t even think I like you as a friend to be honest. You annoy me.” Brystol looks crushed as he stares at her motionless. “I am sorry if that is not what you want to hear. It is what it is and here you are safe now.”

“You can replace those feelings again.” She sees Brystol reach for her hand again and this time she allows him to take it, hoping it will help him understand she does not care for him.

“I don’t think I can.” She says shaking her head adamantly. “I can’t even remember how it felt to have feelings for you.” She cringes at his touch and shifts uncomfortably before jerking her hand back from his.

“That is the payment you gave the Grey Elf?” Brystol looks as though he is about to cry and it makes Sahara roll her eyes.

“It is for the best. You will see.” Sahara says uncaringly. “The less feelings I have for you the less likely you will be harmed again.” She moves toward the door. “I have much to do about Saitar Regald. See you later.”