Souls of the Never: A Fantasy Scifi Romance Time Travel series, with Dragons, Elves and Faeries. (Tales of the Neverwar Series Book 1) by CJ Rutherford, Colin Rutherford Page B

How will I...we,” Derren indicated the others, “know when we have found the Foundation?”
    As B’ran began to explain how all the realities meshed together, how it didn’t matter about the reactions across universes, Derren stood up so abruptly his chair flew backwards.
    “Listen to me, you idiot!”
    The others looked at him but instantly averted their eyes. Several of the initiates present here had had “run-ins” with B’ran before, so they lowered their gaze as he began to bluster, his face reddening as his temper broke at last.
    “How dare you, boy,” he sneered pompously. “You are not here to ask questions which will become clear to you through time. The universe will not give up its secrets simply because a whelp like you demands it. Even if you do seem to think it owes you more than the rest of us lowly beings.”
    Lately, all of the lessons which had put both Derren and B’ran in the same room had descended into this sort of conflict. Unfortunately for Derren, B’ran seemed to have powerful friends and he possessed a cruel willingness to abuse his position.
    Unfortunately for B’ran however, Derren didn’t give a damn and continued to be a constant annoyance at every single opportunity.
    “You don’t know, do you?” realised Derren at last. B’ran moved his mouth silently as if trying to decide if he should answer.
    Derren wondered if now might be the time to reveal he already knew the answer to his own question. That he had already met the person in his drawing more than ten times already, but each time the meeting had resulted in bitter disappointment.
    That although they had all been physically the same as the image, the feeling, the empathy, he’d got from them had always been wrong, diminished somehow.
    He’d finally told Krista about the drawing, only to find out she’d suspected he’d had this gift for years. She’d urged him to tell Sanctuary’s leadership but he’d resisted. She’d been here for months more than he had, and he still hadn’t come to terms with what he thought of as their callous and unfeeling method of initiating a new Liberi to their ranks.
    The Liberi were always born out of battle, their powers only ever manifesting at the final moment of their destruction. Krista had been lost, killed, Derren had thought, over 6 months before his final battle, in another attack far from their home world.
    She had been prevented from any contact with him all that time and Derren still felt bitter about it. He knew it hadn’t been her decision; simply the leadership would not allow anything to jeopardize their great plan. So Derren had had to submit to six months of pain, thinking his twin dead or worse.
    So as B’ran continued his attempt to browbeat him into submission, he knew that no, he would not make it easy for them. Not yet. Not until he’d found her himself.
    And besides, thought Derren, annoying B’ran was proving to be increasingly entertaining.

13 – The Glade – Boys
    Present day
     
    Gwenyth sat next to Amilee on the branch. Their legs dangled down over the waves below, but Amilee knew for the first time in her short life, she looked at a sad being.
    She couldn’t quite understand the concept of sadness. Her friend had tried to describe it to her several times, but it wasn’t until now that she’d ever witnessed it. She wasn’t sure she liked it.
    In fact, at this moment in time she was sure she didn’t. If she could do anything to avoid feeling it she would. It looked...she wasn’t sure. Wrong, somehow.
    “You know, we could go down to the market,” said Amilee brightly. Much more brightly than she felt, “I bet there’ll be boys there.” She sat smirking, but after a few seconds watching her friend, she admitted defeat and joined in with a sullen expression.
Gwenyth began to giggle. Amilee looked over. Sometimes her friend confused her. Her expression however seemed to amuse her friend even more as tears of mirth ran down her cheeks.
    “Ami,