The giddiness nearly escapes my throat as I rush to the door. Damn, Sara, desperate much? I force myself to walk the rest of the way and slowly crack the door open. His handsome face comes into view, my heart skips a beat, and whatever plan I had to remain cool and collected flies right out the window.
“I’m sorry to show up like this. It’s already so late and I’m sure you’re ready to go to sleep, but I had to see you one last time.” He leans against the doorframe as he speaks.
His tired eyes skim over my silky pajamas and instantly morph into a heated mixture of longing and need. I grip the doorknob to remain rooted in my current spot and keep myself from flying into his arms. The intense attraction is mutual. The powerful yearning and craving for the other are shared. Saban and I are in this thing together—whatever it is.
I only hope we’re not burned to ashes by the white-hot desire.
“I’m glad you did. Do you want to come in for a minute?” I hesitate to ask him that question because I don’t want to seem too forward, but I’m also not ready for him to leave either.
“I’d love to, if it’s not too much trouble.”
“Not at all.” I open the door farther and let him pass by me. He walks to the small sitting area and sits on the couch, so I leave the door ajar and join him. “What’s on your mind?”
“You.” He links our fingers together and pulls me closer to him. I happily oblige.
“What a coincidence. You were on my mind too. Anything else?”
“Tomorrow, I have to go with Gerard for our standing meetings with the surrounding kingdoms. There’s nothing special happening, but we can’t miss it. We’re expected to be there to represent Easthaven Crest. My mind will be on you all day even though I can’t be with you.”
“I’ll be here when you’re finished with your meetings. Addilyn will keep me busy tomorrow, teaching me everything I need to know about the palace and the work. The time will fly by, and you’ll be back before you know it.” I gently stroke along his jawline, my eyes automatically drifting to his full lips.
“Any time away from you will be long, drawn-out, and pure hell. But I’m all for making up for lost time when I see you again tomorrow night.” He leans down and presses his lips to mine. I have no choice but to respond in kind—my mind and my body are under a spell. His spell. He ends our kiss but keeps his lips close enough to brush against mine as he speaks. “If I don’t leave now, I’ll never go. As much as I hate to say it, I have to say good night now.”
“Good night, Saban. Sweet dreams…until tomorrow.” With one last, lingering kiss, he stands and walks out the door.
“There’s absolutely no doubt about it. You both have it bad for each other.” Addi stands in the doorway to the adjoining room, smirking at the lost puppy expression on my face.
I shrug and purse my lips to the left. “I have to admit you’re right. So now what happens?”
“You live happily ever after, of course.”
“Why do I get the feeling that’s the furthest thing from the truth?”
“Because, my dear, Saban is a human and you’re a mage. The laws are crystal clear—when a mage is discovered, she’s killed. Humans and mages are not allowed to be together, Sara. It’s one of the most absolute laws and why our kind has to hide in the Veil. I think we should go there tomorrow while he’s away at the council meeting. You can meet the others and start learning how to use your powers in a safe environment.”
“Yes, okay, let’s do that. I have to get my mind back on finding my grandmother and not letting some man distract me from my goal.”
“Easier said than done in this case, my dear. But I’ll help you any way I can.”
Addi leaves, and I climb into the extra-large and ornate bed. The mattress is soft and cushiony, enveloping me in a warm embrace while I attempt to sleep. But my dreams haunt and confuse me, causing me to toss and turn all night. One minute, it’s pure ecstasy and what real dreams are made of. The next minute, all hell’s breaking loose and I’m running for my life again. Only this time, everyone descends on me with pitchforks and lit torches, ready to burn me at the stake.
“Are these dreams or premonitions?” I rub the sleep out of my eyes and force myself to sit up on the side of the bed.
Whoever said dreams and premonitions are mutually exclusive, Saraya?
First things first—I need to identify the source of the voice in my head before it drives me crazy.
Chapter 9
After I spent a few early morning hours learning the ropes around the house, Addi and I left the sprawling palace on foot. My mind keeps taking me back to medieval times, so I’m always looking for horses and carriages, knights in shining armor riding their trusty steeds, and people who live way behind the modern times.
But this place is magical, pun intended, and has the coolest, most futuristic vehicles I’ve ever seen. Addi simply rolls her eyes at my amazement every time one passes by on our way to the Veil. She insists we can’t use transportation to get there because we have to maintain a low profile when we disappear behind the invisible curtain.
Good thing I enjoy getting my exercise outdoors.
When Saban mentioned the village and the orphanage, my mind pictured dirt streets, wooden buildings with straw roofs, and old-timey clothes. Nothing could be further from the reality of it, though. As we walk through the city, the sleek, modern, multistory buildings tower over the clean streets. The people on the sidewalks hurry by in their avant-garde attire, pushing the boundaries of what I usually see in fashion, but killing it, nonetheless.
“You’re cute.” Addi glances at me with a clear side-eye expression. “You come to us through a magical door and automatically assume you stepped back in time a few hundred years.”
“First, get out of my head. Second, I can’t help it. Castles and kings and fights for the throne became all but extinct a long time ago in my world.”
“Maybe in that sense, but I’m sure the constant fight for political gain is well underway. Every kingdom is the same. My world, your world, other worlds. Someone is always power-hungry, and the innocent people trapped under their rule always pay the price.”
“You’re right. That does happen everywhere.”
A vehicle approaches from behind then slows down to idle along beside us. When we lean over to glance inside, I’m surprised to see Gerard’s smiling face behind the wheel. “You ladies need a ride somewhere? I have a business meeting with some of the local merchants, but I’m early so I have plenty of time to give you a lift.”
“Thank you for the offer, Gerard, but we’re enjoying the beautiful weather today. Plus, we’re still in the middle of our girl talk.” Addi giggles and shrugs innocently.
“All right. I’ll see you two later, then.” He smiles then drives away.
Gerard is an extremely handsome man with his neatly styled mixture of light and dark blond hair, alluring blue eyes, and deceptively devilish smile. He has an innate charisma about him that makes people want to talk to him and captivates their full attention. Isla is a lucky woman. He dotes on her every need and want, putting her front and center of his world. They were adorable to watch at their engagement party. So much in love, so full of life, and so thankful for all their friends and family celebrating with them.
When Gerard is out of sight, we make a sharp left turn down a side street and walk at a brisk pace until we’re out of the city limits and approaching the thick forest that’s home to the Veil. The trees are taller and bigger around than any I’ve ever seen. Their full branches and broad trunks make walking in a straight line impossible. Moving through the tangled underbrush is difficult at best. We wind through the dense brush until the sunshine from the outside world dims and the glow from the flying insects lights our way. I release a sigh of relief when we finally find the trail and can move faster.
The first clearing we reach takes my breath away. In the tops of the trees, high above the forest floor, are magnificent houses connected by wooden walkways and
bridges. The canopy is alive with magic and people and music and singing. Birds of every color flutter through the air, their chirps only adding to the harmony.
“Are we in the Veil now?”
“We are.” The pride she feels for her secret home is palpable—and with good reason.
“This place is amazing. It’s beautiful, but it even feels different from the rest of this realm. There’s a peace here that settles over me, making me calm and relaxed. Happy, even.”
“You can feel that after one visit?” Addi turns to me, trying to read my thoughts.
“Yes, and I can also feel you trying to get into my head. Why couldn’t I feel that before now?”
“Beautiful girl, what is your name?” An older woman steps out of one of the enormous trees, silhouetted by the light from inside. Her silver hair and dark brown eyes give her wrinkled brown skin an ethereal glow. She walks up to me and takes my hands in hers, looking deep into my eyes and seeing me with more than our normal vision.
“Sara.”
She cups my face in her hands, and tears well up in her eyes.
I’m not sure what’s happening, but I don’t get a negative vibe from her. Her intense scrutiny makes me slightly uncomfortable, but not because I think she poses any threat. The longer she stares at me, the more her expression changes from interest to disbelief. She’s shocked for some reason, and that can only mean what she’s about to say will change my life. Again.
“Is it really you, sweet girl? Saraya, have you returned to us?” The tears spill over onto her cheeks, flowing unchecked as they drop to the forest floor below. Her face is alive with a mixture of love, relief, and fear in equal measures. My mind is spinning, and I don’t know what I should focus on first.
Saraya. I’ve only heard that name whispered from the voice that invades my mind. And only here, in Covis Realm. What does all this mean? My thoughts swirl and steal my ability to speak, leaving only confusion in their wake.
“Come with me. I’ll explain everything to you. Don’t you worry. It’ll be all right.” She gently pats my face before taking my hand in hers and leading me inside the enormous tree. “I’m Ginevra Crowe, the leader of this order.”
The staircase curves around the inside of the trunk, all the way up to the top where another door leads out to the walkways connecting the trees. Curtains of tiny colorful lights stream down the walls, twinkling in a mesmerizing pattern, making it nearly impossible to look away. Shades of white, gold, pink, green, blue, orange, red, purple—and every color on the spectrum in between—brighten the steps and light our way. That’s when I realize they aren’t simply lights at all.
“Are those…fairies?” I literally can’t trust my own eyes.
“Yes, they are. The fae are friends of the mages and help keep us safe. Their magic is a little different from ours, but no less powerful. They’re better hidden from the humans because they can remain as small as a firefly or take on their full adult size whenever needed. They’ve been extremely loyal allies.” Ginevra walks through the door at the top of the stairs and turns to me with a sly grin plastered on her face. “Yes, we do have a better way to reach the top than taking the stairs every time, but I thought you’d enjoy seeing all the details on your first visit.”
“Busted. Get out of my mind.” I chuckle to myself, knowing I could’ve shielded my thoughts if I’d wanted to hide them.
“I don’t have to read your mind to know what you were thinking after climbing that tall tree. We’re all thinking the same thing.” She laughs good-naturedly as she steps onto the sky bridge connecting the trees. “No one can accuse us of not getting our exercise in today, right?”
“Exactly. Honestly, taking that route didn’t bother me. I love to climb trees anyway. You simply showed me a new way to do that today.”
We move inside an actual tree house and take a seat in the comfortable living room. The limbs above act as ceiling beams. The floors are rough-cut wood planks that have been coated to make them smooth. The walls are floor-to-ceiling glass panes, giving a complete 360-degree view of the surrounding forest. All the furniture is made from the wood of the trees, colored in earth tones. The couch is extra wide, overstuffed, and strewn with coordinating throw pillows.
“Ginevra, I think I could live in this place and never leave the Veil. You have a gorgeous view. It’s quiet, peaceful, and surrounded by nature.” I lean back, and the soft sofa envelops me.
“See what I mean? I told you Sara was different from the other mages, Ginevra.” Addi laughs out loud as she plops down on the couch beside me and playfully nudges me in the side with her elbow. “It’s pretty refreshing, actually.”
“Do you know why she’s different, Addilyn?” Ginevra’s tone catches my attention, and I turn my gaze to her.
“No, but I’m all ears.”
“So am I.” With my elbows on my knees, I wait impatiently for an explanation.
She makes quick movements with her hands in the air, and a white cloud forms from her actions. Then the cloud shapes into specific forms before morphing into something like a projection screen, complete with moving images just like a movie.
“Many years ago, all the kingdoms of Covis Realm lived together in peace. Each nation had its own borders, but we were also neighbors who looked out for one another. Mages were a vital part of every community—humans, elves, merpeople, shifters, and vampires. We helped bridge the gap between the different types of beings in our world. Mages created a commonality among the vastly different backgrounds.
“There are bad elements in every culture. You’ll always have criminals, regardless of how advanced you think your race is. Someone comes along and wants to tip the scales of power in his or her direction. That’s why no one looked too hard into the murders and disappearances when they first started. The crimes were sporadic, and the victims didn’t seem to have a connection. There was no obvious rhyme or reason. Until it was too late, and by then, we’d been blind for too long.”
“I don’t understand. How were you blind for too long?”
“The victims were all killed with magic. No apparent wounds—no lightning swords, no guns, no marks on the body that would suggest anything else could’ve caused the deaths. The realm was outraged, calling for the head of the mage who was responsible. It was the first time our world had experienced a serial killer, and it was more than jarring. It turned nation against nation. Ethnic group against ethnic group. Suspicion clouded the minds of people who had been friends all their lives.
“Then the humans started ‘testing’ others to see if they were a mage or not.” She uses air quotes and rolls her eyes.
“What kind of test?”
“Complete nonsense. The humans held women down, twirled a crystal pendulum over their hearts, and if the stone turned a certain color, they were deemed to be a mage. Out of sheer panic, they sentenced those accused of being a mage to death and carried out their sentence immediately. Of course, those who tried to dispute the test were declared mages and also killed. It was a very dark time in our world.” Ginevra squeezes her eyes shut, bows her head, and breathes deeply until her chin stops quivering.
“That is terrible. I can’t imagine witnessing such a complete disregard for life.” My heart is pounding inside my chest so hard I’m surprised they can’t hear it knocking. There’s more to this story, I know, because Saraya hasn’t made an appearance yet.
She takes a deep breath and meets my gaze head on. “You were barely a newborn when the troubles began. When the executions started, the search for mages carried on for months, growing in intensity and ferocity. Your mother, Wren, was the queen of Easthaven Crest. By the time the angry mob went after her, the mania had hit an all-time high. Her mother, Zula, took you and left this world before they could hurt you.”
“My grandmother’s name is Sue.” I don’t want to believe this reality.
“In the other world, yes. We called her Zu for short, so Sue was a natural conversion for her to fit in.”
&n
bsp; “The mob killed my mother?” My question comes out barely louder than a whisper.
“I’m afraid so, sweetheart. I’m so sorry to be the one to tell you this, but you have to understand who you are. You’re the—”
“What about my father? What happened to him?” I jump up from the couch, barely containing the chaos inside me that’s threatening to boil over at any second.
“He died trying to protect your mother. They loved each other so much, and he wouldn’t abandon her when the angry citizens came for her. You understand what this means, don’t you?” Ginevra moves to my side and wraps her hand around my forearm. “You know what I’m about to say.”
“Don’t say it. I don’t want to hear it. Where is my grandmother now? She disappeared in my world, I fell through a hole in the forest and wound up here. If she’s here, I only want to find her and get us both back home as soon as possible.” I rub my hand across my forehead and drop my chin to my chest.
This cannot be happening. I feel as if I’m Alice in freaking Magicland.
“Zu was my best friend, Saraya. I loved her like a sister, and it broke my heart when she left here. She and I cast a powerful spell over you that day to cloak your true identity from the inhabitants of this world until your eighteenth birthday. We knew the person behind the atrocities would keep searching for you. If you were killed, nothing would stand in their way from taking over.
“On your next birthday, the spell will be broken, and your true identity will be known. If Zu disappeared from your world, then she was found because they were looking for you. There’s no way to free her without giving away your identity.”
“I know I’ll regret asking this, but there seems to be no way around it. Are you saying the magic murders were all a setup to take over the throne from my parents?”
She nods.
“And by killing me, the path to the throne is wide open for the taking?”
Cloaked: Easthaven Crest, Book One Page 7