Welcome, you’ve stumbled into The Tori Story Series. If this is your first visit to this realm you might want to catch up.

---

---

Tori sat at the small table in her cabin. She bowed her head and rested it in her hands. Overwhelmed.

The events of the past few days weighed heavily on her spirit. Crushing her. Even now she found it difficult to breath. Desperately wanting an escape, her thoughts turned to the Void and all the peace it brought her. Of course, thoughts of the Void only brought back memories of Rowan.

Had she really seen him or was it only a dream?

While she was busy caring for Ben she was able to keep thoughts of Rowan at bay. Well, mostly. Now, however, a flood of emotions overwhelmed her. Was he still alive or had she only imagined seeing him? She desperately wanted back into the Void. Even if she couldn’t rescue Rowan at least she could be with him. In that forever bliss. Anything was better than this.

Looking up, Tori stared at the depleted supply of dried herbs that hung on her wall. She had tried everything. Everything. And nothing had worked. Not even the penicillin.

“You should be use to this by now.” she scolded herself. She knew she couldn’t, shouldn’t blame herself but it was difficult not to. All these years practicing medicine— and that’s what it was practicing— and still she could not handle nature’s ultimate defeat.

To tell the truth, she took it personally.

She ran through the whys, what ifs, should haves and could haves. It was futile and pointless. Truly she knew this, but still… she couldn’t help but surrender to these thoughts and let the despair wash over her.

“Wwwhhhhyyy?” she asked the near empty wall in front of her as she chocked back her tears.

Poor precious Ben.

In the end she wasn’t able to cheat death. She would never be able to. Death would always have the last word.

~

“Tori,” the Peddler said softly as he entered the cabin. He strode across the small room. When he got to the loft, he ducked his head and sat down beside her.

Tori leaned into his chest and cried.

“It’s ok.” The Peddler offered, gathering her tightly into his arms and stroking her hair. He kissed the top of her head.

They sat there for a moment in silence. 

At last Tori spoke. “Take me to the Void.” She whispered.

“Tori…” The Peddler began but didn’t finish; he just couldn’t find the right words.

“Open the Void, Peddler.” Tori demanded as she pulled away from the Peddler’s embrace and looked into his eyes.

“You don’t understand—” The Peddler began again.

“What don’t I understand, Peddler? That my son is alive? No, that OUR son is alive trapped in the Void and you don’t— What? — Have the balls to go after him?” She sat there a moment, eyes challenging him.

The Peddler simply sighed but didn’t respond.

Enraged at his silence, Tori screamed “OPEN IT!”

The Peddler grabbed Tori’s shoulders and turned her toward him. “Tori, I’m working on it. Don’t you think I care about Rowan too? What do you think I’ve been doing the last three years? I am the one who has been desperately searching while you’ve just been sitting around playing gods, trying to save— What?” He let out an exasperated sigh. “Crop?”

“They are people, Peddler. And that’s not fair.” Tori spat out the words. “You told me Rowan was dead.”

The Peddler released her. “You’re right. That wasn’t fair and I’m sorry.”

He stood and walked toward the door then turned back to face her. “Look, I had no idea he was trapped in the Void until you discovered him. I’ve never lost anyone in the Void before. And just so you know I have tried to get him out. What do you think I’ve been doing the entire time you’ve been tending to Ben?” The Peddler paused.

“The Void is closed up, Tori. I didn’t want to tell you because I didn’t want to worry you.” He began pacing back and forth. “I’m working on it. We will get Rowan out. I promise. I just have to figure out why the Void is sewn up.”

“What do you mean sewn up? I thought the Void was uncontrollable?”

“Well, yes, for the most part that’s true. Except on occasion when the Council discovers a ‘threat’ then they pool their powers together to block passageways. Of course they can’t block all of the passageways, and they can’t do it forever, but they can for a while.” The Peddler stopped pacing when a horrible realization hit him. He turned to Tori and scanned her face with a sad knowing look. “Usually long enough to find and eliminate the threat.”

Tori shuddered. “What threat? Peddler. I know that look. What are you trying to say?”

“I’m trying to say that we need to leave— you need to leave, Tori. The sooner the better.” The Peddler began pacing again and continued half speaking to himself. “I should have been more careful. When I brought in the penicillin there was that lens. They saw me. I thought I had covered my tracks. Our tracks. But now I’m thinking I let my guard down a little and wasn’t careful enough.” The Peddler paused again. “I think the Keepers know, Tori. I think the Void is closed because of you. Even I can’t get out of here. If the Keepers find me here… with you… ” He left the words hanging there unsaid.

“Peddler, are you trying to say I’m the threat?” Tori’s eyes clouded over with tears. “How could I possibly be a threat?”

“Tori, you don’t belong.”

“Peddler, stop saying that. I’m well aware that nothing about me belongs. You’ve told me that only a million times. So you tell me. Where do I belong? Huh? Nowhere that’s where. I’ll be running for the rest of my life. I am not a threat. I am me. Why can’t you understand that? Why can’t you make them understand that?”

All at once the Peddler stood bolt upright. Simultaneously, the hairs on the back of Tori’s neck stood up on end.

Eyes. Watching eyes were everywhere as if a million lenses had appeared out of nowhere.

“They know.” The Peddler whispered. “And they will be here soon. Grab whatever it is you can’t live without. We’ve got to get moving.”

Tori reached up into the loft and grabbed the Taser gun and her doctor’s bag, and cramming in the few items she couldn’t live without they dashed out the door.

Once outside they were greeted by an army of soldiers surrounding the cabin. One of the King’s guards grabbed Tori and sneered. “Going somewhere, Witch?”

---