“Morning to you too.”
She held up a bundle of clothes. “These are for you and”—she looked past me—“Raikidan.”
I noticed the desire in her eyes. Even after my talk with her, it’d take her a bit to let him go. What is he doing now? I turned to find Raikidan lying on the bed on his back, one arm over his eyes while the other hanging off the bed. He’d chosen to only wear his pants. I… guess I could see why she’s acting that way…
I looked back at her, taking the offered clothes. “Thank you. I appreciate not having to wear the same set of clothes back-to-back for once.”
Valene’s eyes lingered on Raikidan before she looked up at me. “Don’t mention it. By the way, on my way over here, I heard Shva’sika had returned early this morning. After breakfast you’ll be able to see her. Unless you want me to run to her house and invite her over.”
I held up a hand. “No need. I’m sure she’s tired from her journey. I’ll let her rest before bothering her.”
Valene stared at me, her eyes giving away her want to argue about the last part of my comment, but she nodded instead and excused herself. I shut the door behind me and noticed Raikidan didn’t move. Perplexed, I walked over to the bed and towered over him.
He peeked under his arm. “Stay there. You’re blocking out the sun.”
I rolled my eyes as I scoffed and dropped his clothes on his face. “Drama queen.”
He lifted the clothes off his face as I walked toward the bathroom. “Drama what?”
I didn’t answer him as I shut the door behind me, so I could change in peace.
Light from the mid-morning sun filtered through the trees on the northbound road. After a pleasant breakfast, Raikidan and I headed out to track down Shva’sika. In theory she’d be home, but she could have gone to one other place. Please be home…
Raikidan remained quiet while walking. He watched me with great intensity, but it was as if he could see my nerves going AWOL. I did my best to hide it, but after finding out what happened to Xye, I didn’t want to face Shva’sika. I didn’t have a right.
I veered us off the main road onto a smaller path leading into the forest. The well-traversed dirt changed to cobblestone and soon we found ourselves in a clearing. A large elvish-style house with an angular roof and elegant accents sat in the center. Before us was a stone patio leading to the deck of the front of the house. To the north and south sides of the house, balconies with lattice railings wound their way around the building; and to the south rear side of the house, a large glass greenhouse could be seen.
The two of us walked up the wide stone steps of the deck and approached the tall mahogany doors of the house. My balled-up hand hovered over the wooden surface, my nerves hesitating my knocking. You have to do this, Eira.
I took a controlled breath and knocked three times. Silence. I knocked again. Silence. I contemplated knocking again to be sure, but I knew it wouldn’t make a difference. “She’s not here. We’ll have to go back into town to—”
Quick muffled footsteps came from inside the house, and then a female voice. “One minute! I’m coming.”
Raikidan and I glanced at each other and then waited. The hurried steps came closer and then the door unlocked. It swung open, revealing an alluring elven woman, appearing to be no older than thirty-five, and stood taller than Raikidan by two or three inches. She had porcelain skin, captivating crystal-blue eyes, and beautiful long dark blue hair that was tied together in areas with large beads and cloth wraps.
Painted above her brow was a V-shaped line of blue dots that went from one large one in the center to smaller ones on the ends. Laid on top of the dots was a gold circlet with a crystal pendant hanging from the center. She had a beautifully crafted torc around her neck, and her body was adorned by a violet dress with long flowing sleeves and a cloth belt.
She hadn’t changed much—well, at all, really. “Shva’sika…”
The elven woman’s eyes went wide. “Laz?”
I tried to say something to her, but my mind blanked. Nothing I could say would make things right. They wouldn’t bring Xye back.
Shva’sika’s eyes welled up with tears. “You’re alive!”
My body stiffened as she threw her arms around me and sobbed into my shoulder. This was not what I had expected to happen. Maybe some blaming, some yelling, or maybe even some name calling, but not a hug.
“I’m so relieved. I thought I’d never see you again.”
“I… I don’t understand. Why aren’t you screaming at me?”
Shva’sika pulled away, her brow knitted, and her cheeks still stained with tears. “Why would I do that?”
My lips slipped into a frown. “I… heard about what happened to Xye.”
I jumped back when she started laughing. Raikidan and I gave each other confused glances.
Shva’sika got herself under control and wiped away her tears, careful not to ruin her makeup any more than she already had. “I’m sorry, that response wasn’t one you’d expect, I know. As much as I miss my dear brother, he was an idiot. You told him not to follow you, and he did anyway. You’re not to blame for his choices.”
“But had I not—”
Shva’sika flicked her hand dismissively. “I will have none of that. You are not to blame for what happened. I don’t care what Maka’shi thinks. You’d been with us for years without incident and then that attack happened? No one can make me believe you were at fault for that. You were just a convenient scape goat.”
My shoulders slouched. I didn’t understand this behavior. Of all people, she should hate me for what happened. I’m the reason she lost what immediate family she had left.
“You can’t be blamed for the actions of fools.”
My elven friend waved us in. “Now, come inside. It’s rude of me to make you linger in the doorway. My parents, may their souls rest, would question my upbringing.”
The two of us entered, finding ourselves in a spacious living room with a fireplace and large windows to invite the sun. To the north side of the house was the open kitchen and some glass doors for the north balcony. To the south, another pair of glass doors led to the other balcony. A large spiral staircase led to the upstairs, and behind that a hallway led to the backside of the house. While elvish in design and decoration, it had a more modern feel to it, especially compared to the outside.
Shva’sika faced me. “I have to guess, your visit here wasn’t just so you could apologize for something you didn’t do, yes?”
I nodded. “I returned here to grab a few things before heading back to Dalatrend.”
“I thought that might be the case. I do have the items you seek. I’ll go get them. Make yourself at home.”
She sashayed her way into the back of the house, leaving Raikidan and me to wait. Raikidan chose to sit down on a couch and I wandered around until I made it to the fireplace. Fancy ornaments covered the mantle, along with four framed photographs. One pictured Shva’sika and me, along with a young man who had his arm around my shoulder. Xye… I picked it up to look at it.
He was a handsome young man, looking no older than twenty-five, although I knew he was a little more than a century old. His long blue-silver hair, light skin, and green eyes showed his kind demeanor. Garbed in traditional elvish robes, he stood an inch or two taller than Shva’sika, which I’d come to learn over time that was an unusual height for a half-elf.
My thumb slid over my smiling face, memories of my time here flashing through my mind. They were nice memories, but painful, too. My reception upon first arriving here all those years ago hadn’t been warm, but I hadn’t expected it to be. I didn’t even want to stay, but Shva’sika insisted. Others warmed up to me in time, and this place had become a sanctuary for me. I’d thought I had finally found a place to belong—a place that could teach me what happiness was.
My thumb slid over Xye’s face. I’m sorry…
“He meant a lot to you, didn’t he?”
I turned myself to look at Raiki
dan. He sat on the couch, watching me with great intensity.
I placed the picture back up on the mantle. “Not as much as he would have liked, but yes.”
He lifted an eyebrow with interest. “Care to elaborate?”
I sat down on another couch and leaned back, staring at the ceiling. “He wanted me to marry him.”
Raikidan snorted. “You’re not the mating type, from what I’ve gathered.”
I chuckled. His choice of words was odd and primitive, but they didn’t bother me. I was actually more comfortable with those words than the ones I had chosen. “That’s what I told him, but he was persistent. He told me he’d keep trying to get me to say yes, even if it killed him, and he got just that.”
“You can’t blame yourself for his death.”
I looked at him. “Yes, I can.”
Raikidan came over and sat next to me. I leaned forward and clasped my hands together. “Things were going fine here. No problems and no fighting. It was peaceful. If my memory wasn’t as good as it is, I probably would have forgotten why I ended up here in the first place.”
My hands tensed. “Then one day, out of the blue, a company of Hunters attacked the village. They were after me. I had planned on drawing them away without anyone getting involved, but many insisted on helping. Xye was part of that group.” I let out a deep sigh. “I told him to stay back. He was a healer, not a fighter.” I shook my head. “I can blame myself for what happened all I want, because it’s the truth. Had I not been here, none of that would have happened.”
“The elf woman is right.” Raikidan leaned forward. “Even if the attack is your fault, her brother made his choice. You are not responsible for the choices of others.”
I stared at the floor, unable to agree with him.
Shva’sika returned a few moments later, in her hand three items of importance to me. I got to my feet and walked over to her. She handed me a leather corded necklace with a wolf’s tooth wrapped into it. I wrapped the leather around my neck three times and tied it together in three knots near the tooth.
Shva’sika handed me an earring next, a sapphire stud with a silver chain connecting to a golden bell. Three feathers and a red ribbon were attached to the top of the bell. As the bell dangled from the chain and moved when I accepted the earring from Shva’sika, it made no sound. Concentrating, I gave it a swift flick and a lovely ring echoed from the metal ball. Lightness came to my body and mind, and I had to resist the urge to sit.
I spun around when something heavy hit the floor to find Raikidan on his ass. Apparently while I’d been inspecting my items, he’d gotten off the couch.
Raikidan stared at me with wide, confused eyes, and I bit my lip. “What the hell just happened?”
I couldn’t hold back and sputtered out a laugh. Shva’sika rested her fingers on her lips as she giggled away.
“What did you do?” Raikidan repeated.
I continued to laugh, bending over and resting my hands on my legs for support. “I can’t… I can’t believe that worked on you.”
He continued to sit there. “Why can’t I get back up?”
I held out a finger as I tried to get myself under control. Taking a few quick breaths, I straightened up and then concentrated before flicking the bell again. This time, a different sound rang from the metal.
Raikidan looked at his hands, his eyes wide as if surprised by his returned strength, and then got up to his feet. “What did you do?”
I attached the earring stud to my ear in a hole I’d left empty earlier this morning. “Sorry about that. I had no idea that frequency would affect you. It’s never affected anyone before, so I thought it was safe to test and make sure the bell still worked.”
“That doesn’t explain to me what you did,” he said, crossing his arms.
“It’s a special tool designed to soothe. The soothing effect depends on the frequency I create and who is around to hear it. So far, I’ve only been able to get it to work consistently on two of my comrades, Ryoko and Rylan, and people like them. It’s helpful when they’re getting out of hand, I can make them… uh, well… sit.”
Shva’sika sputtered out a laugh, understanding my snarky meaning. Raikidan looked confused, even though I had told him about Ryoko a bit, but he’d understand soon enough when he met them. Hopefully he’ll get to meet them.
“Well, don’t do that to me again,” he said. “I didn’t like it.”
I grinned. “No promises.”
Shva’sika shook her head. “You’re terrible. But I suppose I’m even more so for giving this back to you.”
She held out a wicked-looking dagger, its hilt made of dark metal and gold accents, and its blade curved and jagged. I accepted my last item of importance, and tested the diamond coated blade’s sharpness, careful not to cut myself. I sliced it through the air a few times and noted it wasn’t the same as when I left it.
“One of the blacksmiths in town tried to improve it,” Shva’sika said. “I tried to warn him of its unusual nature, but he insisted he knew how to work it. He claims it should be lighter to wield.”
I nodded. “It is.” I then concentrated and thought about wielding a broadsword. The dagger warped and before everyone’s very eyes, it transformed into a claymore. I thought of a pike, then a sickle, a bow, and then the original shaped dagger again, the weapon transforming each time.
“Transition feels a bit slow, but I could be imagining it due to my perceived thought of him meddling.”
Raikidan stared at the weapon. “What the hell is that? What are these items you have? Some sort of ancient magic artifacts? Is that necklace special, too, in some way?”
I chuckled. “No, the necklace is just a necklace. And these items aren’t magic relics. At least the dagger isn’t.” I thought about holding two daggers, and the weapon distorted, allowing me to pull it apart. I spun the two blades in my hands. “It was made for me, and he refused to reveal his secret.” Because Ryder is a brat. “The bell was a gift, and I’m not sure where she got it from, so it’s possible it’s a magic relic.”
“I’ve always suspected it was,” Shva’sika said. “It may be small, but historical texts say even the smallest of arcane magic was strong. And really, if it can get even a dragon to calm down, how could it not be?”
I stared at her with wide eyes.
She grinned. “What? Did you really not expect me to figure it out? Honestly, Laz, you’re better than that.”
My brow furrowed. “But… but how?”
She shook her head. “Well, for one, why would you of all people bring an ordinary human to Dalatrend, a city known for how much it loves to keep the old slave ways?”
Shit, she has a point.
“I also have met a dragon before, on my pilgrimage. Once you meet one, it’s easier to spot them when you cross paths with another.”
“And you never told me?”
She shrugged. “I didn’t see a need to. It was never relevant information.”
She had me there.
Shva’sika looked to Raikidan. “Me knowing isn’t an issue, right?”
Raikidan shook his head. “No.”
She smiled. “Good, though Maka’shi won’t be pleased if she finds out. Not because of your race, but because of your ability to disguise yourself.” She looked at me. “I hope you understand that, Laz.”
“She’s already been made aware,” Raikidan said. Shva’sika’s brow rose at his words. “Daren, I guess his name is, caught me testing out the nu-human form after seeing this one.”
My elven friend chuckled. “You’re lucky it was him. He’s a good man and will take your secret to the grave.”
“I know.” His response surprised me. I didn’t think he’d trust anyone, even someone as nice as Daren.
Shva’sika focused on me. “Now, if that is all, I’m going to go place flowers on my brother’s grave. I would like it if you came with me.”
A lump formed in my throat and I nodded, bringing the dagger back to its original si
ngle form and slipping it into a sheath strapped to my thigh. She nodded back and went into the kitchen, picking up a bouquet of flowers I hadn’t noticed before. She must have been getting it ready when I showed up.
Shva’sika linked arms with me and the three of us set off for the village graveyard.
Shva’sika chatted on and on, acting as if nothing had changed between us. It made me uneasy. I struggled to understand how she couldn’t blame me, or if she had at some point forgiven me.
Her grip on my arm tightened. “What’s bothering you?”
I shook my head. “It’s nothing.”
Shva’sika tilted her head down and gave me a stern look. “Don’t lie to me.”
I looked away. “I… just don’t understand how you can be around me after what happened.”
Her grip on me tightened. “Even if I did blame you, which I don’t, it’s because I would have forgiven you. That’s what family does.”
Family? After all this time, and what happened, she still saw us as such? We weren’t biological family of course, but she had seen me as such quite early on, due to a connection we shared that led me to this place without me realizing it.
“And as family, I must say, you’re far too thin.”
I rolled my eyes. “Don’t start. Daren is on my case too. It’s not like I have any control of that. Food isn’t easy to come by when you’re running for your life. I was always grateful to have the time to eat even a bug or some type of mushroom.”
Raikidan’s face scrunched. “You ate insects?”
“Yeah, it’s not that strange.”
Shva’sika laughed. “Yes, it is, dear.”
I held my hands out to Raikidan. “I doubt it is for him. I’ve seen lizards eat insects. Even if it was only as a baby dragon.” I glanced at Raikidan. “I highly doubt a small dragon could do well taking down even a rodent.”
Raikidan looked elsewhere. “It’s not that hard.”
I noticed the red tint to his cheeks. “Yeah, sure.”
“Well, I’ve never eaten bugs. That’s just gross.”
Destiny (Experimental Heart Book 1) Page 10