Ascent of the Aliomenti by Alex Albrinck Page A

about me...” She paused, unable to continue.
    “They were told you’d come from the northeast,” Will said, understanding. “You were hoping to use this time to find your original hometown?”
    Eva nodded. “It’s a foolish fantasy, of course. I wouldn’t know my home community if I found it, because I have no memories of the area. I wondered, though, if I might come across a town or a village where the people look more like me.” She indicated her hair with a wave. “Not many people where we lived, whether before or after we escaped the baron, had hair coloring like mine.” She looked thoughtful for a moment. “Of course, even if I find an area with people of a similar appearance, who can say if it means anything? After all, my brother and I look nothing alike.”
    Will nodded at the observation, a curiosity he himself had noticed. Eva was tall for both her era and gender, and her hair was snow white. Adam, in contrast, was of an average height, and his brown hair bore little resemblance to Eva’s. “It certainly can’t hurt to look, though. It’s not as if we have another target in mind. Moving further away from the Aliomenti village seems like a good idea.”
    “Aliomenti?” Hope frowned. “What’s that?”
    “Adam recommended that we give ourselves a name. He found the remnants of the sign on the Schola, and the letters from alio incrementum were reformed into Aliomenti. Choosing the name... that was part of his speech after the fire and massacre.”
    “What?”Eva asked, and the coloring of her face nearly matched that of her hair. “What fire?”
    Will found it hard to look at her; he’d left so quickly after talking to Hope that he’d never related the events to Eva, and now he didn’t want to say anything. But he did. “Adam returned from his journey, Eva. He brought word that he’d found the true secret, the way to unlock those abilities in everyone. And it was no mere boast; he demonstrated abilities far in excess of anything Roland ever suggested. Everyone was quite excited, until he stated he wished to share it first with three people. When he found out what happened to the two of you and Genevieve... he became angry. I believe he probed the memories of everyone there, because I felt him digging through my mind. What he found horrified him, Eva, to the point that he decided to take action. He wanted to punish them for what they’d done to the three of you, and prevent future atrocities. He kidnapped Arthur, made up a story to get me out of the village, and then...”
    Eva was no fool, and the pause following the comment about the fire and massacre were all the clues she needed. Her horror, shock, and grief were suffered in silence. The only indication of her understanding and acceptance of Adam’s actions were the short, quick breaths she inhaled, the sounds coming from her a tearless, heaving, silent cry. Will stepped closer to put a comforting hand on Eva’s shoulder, and Hope gripped Eva’s hand.
    “I can’t believe he’s done it,” Eva finally whispered. “Why didn’t he tell me? Why wouldn’t he talk to me?”
    Will, uncertain if these questions were rhetorical, elected to reply. “It is not something I think he felt comfortable sharing. He may have been embarrassed or ashamed.”
    Eva blinked, as if waking from a dream. “What?” The sound of her voice seemed to jolt her to full awareness. “Yes, of course he was. He should still talk to me, though. You say he now has very strong abilities? Like you do? That those abilities enabled him to... start the fire?”
    Will found her resilience at the news that her brother had murdered four dozen people remarkable... and slightly unnerving. “Yes, Eva. He has strong Energy skills. That’s how he restrained fifty people in their rooms as he doused the exteriors using kegs and casks of alcohol. That’s how he scooped flaming embers from the fires burning in the ovens to ignite those buildings. That’s how he held them all