Free Rise of Keitus by Andrea Pearson

immediately.”
    Azuriah nodded. He crouched down near Jacob, hands resting on his knees. “This doesn’t happen to Shiengols. We’re constantly aware of time as though it’s happening all around us—we recognize each other. It’s never caused us not to Travel before.”
    He straightened, pulling Jacob up. “Gallus and Aldo didn’t know who you were, did they?”
    Jacob shook his head. “No, but they were trying hard to remember. They recognized me, and it was like they experienced something emotional too, and that confused them.”
    Azuriah didn’t respond. His emotion colors switched from concern—yellowish—to thoughtful—a yellowy-green shade.
    Finally, when several moments had passed, Azuriah broke the silence. “Here’s what must be happening. They see you and recognize you for who you will be to them in the future, but it doesn’t make sense to them since they haven’t met you yet.” He turned and faced Jacob. “As you know and have already stated, this is going to cause a lot of problems for you. It’ll put a halt on your future studies unless you find a way around it.”
    Jacob nodded, but then stopped. “Wait. Me? I have to figure it out?”
    “Yes. I’ve got other things to do, and besides, it’s not my problem. It’s yours.”
    “But the Lorkon—they’re everyone’s problem, not just mine! And you’re my teacher!”
    Azuriah shrugged. “I’ve told you before—there are things I must take care of as well. You’ve got a good brain, and you’ve got strong minds at your disposal. Talk to your friends. Figure out a solution.” He walked Jacob to the door. “I’m leaving for a couple of days. Don’t come back until you’ve found a way around this.”
    “But what if there is no way?”
    Azuriah ignored him and Jacob growled to himself, stepping out of the fortress. That Shiengol was so, so stubborn! And how could he know this wasn’t a permanent roadblock? He wasn’t all-knowing, was he? Obviously not. The guy hadn’t even known Jacob would encounter this problem in the first place.
    Jacob kicked a rock, sending it flying into the garden nearest him, and stuffed his hands into his hoodie pockets. So ridiculous, this entire situation.
    Rather than go home, he decided to visit Aldo and the Fat Lady. They wouldn’t have a problem with him venting to them, and perhaps they’d help him resolve this stupid dilemma. He called Early and had her deliver a message, letting them know he was on his way.
    He Keyed from the tree to the Fat Lady’s cabin and walked down the narrow hallway into the living room. He practically skidded to a stop, though. There were stacks and stacks of books and papers everywhere. The place was so disorganized, Jacob couldn’t even see paths through the jumble of piles.
    “Hello?” he called out.
    “Jacob?” the Fat Lady responded. “Come around where I can see you.”
    Jacob gingerly stepped over a pile that had toppled and moved farther into the room, trying not to knock anything down. The Fat Lady came into view. “Is Aldo still here?” He figured the old man had to be, since Jacob had Keyed him to her cabin earlier.
    “Yup!” Aldo’s cheerful voice said from behind another stack. “You like what we’ve done with the place?”
    “Where did all the books come from?”
    “My cellar.” The Fat Lady fanned herself. Streams of sweat had tracked lines in the dust on her face and neck, her hair was a wreck—half of it had come loose from its bun—and her clothes had random handprints everywhere. Jacob stepped to the right where he could see Aldo too. The old man was sitting cross-legged on the floor, several open books surrounding him.
    “Any luck finding a cure for the bugs?” Jacob asked.
    “No, but we’ve got several leads!” The Fat Lady practically bounced with excitement. “Wanna hear them?”
    “In a minute, but first, I actually came to ask advice from both of you.”
    “Oh? About what?” She tucked a sweaty strand of hair behind