Raelia (The Medoran Chronicles Book 2)

by Lynette Noni

  Alex’s shock almost caused her to drop the weapon that was now in her grasp and blocking the other blade from slashing through her body. Where had it c“You’ve been holding out on me,” the Meyarin said, and Alex could hear the anticipation in his voice. “Now we can really experiment.”

  Alex didn’t have the chance to tell him to stop. She felt the strength behind his blade ease for a fraction of a second before he lunged towards her again, prompting her to roll out of the way and jump to her feet, raising her weapon in front of her.

  It was then that her entire perception of the world changed.

  She still couldn’t see anything, but she didn’t need to. Everything else was magnified. She could hear, feel, smell and taste the air around her. Her senses drew together a perfect picture that she couldn’t have seen with her eyes open. She was suddenly aware, and it made her feel powerful. Invincible. And when the Meyarin sliced his blade towards her, she met his attacks over and over again.

  They lunged, they parried, blocked and deflected. They spun, jumped, ducked and twirled. Alex gave as good as she received; never before had she felt so capable with a blade. In the end it was her human weakness that ended their fight, but only when she became so breathless that she could barely draw air into her lungs.

  “Enough,” the Meyarin said. “I think we’ve proved my hypothesis correct.”

  Alex collapsed to the ground and panted heavily, dropping her weapon to the side. A moment later the Meyarin released her blindfold, and she winced at the painfully bright Myrox barrier surrounding them.

  Only when her companion sat beside her did she notice that he was also affected by their workout. His breath wasn’t anywhere near as ragged as hers, but he was definitely drawing in more air than normal.

  “Why are you winded?” she asked, continuing to suck in deep breaths. “You’re Meyarin.”

  “And you just fought like one,” he told her with a brilliant smile. “That was incredible, Alex.”

  “What do you mean?” she asked stupidly. Their fight had seemed like a whirlwind to her, but that was mostly because she’d been blindfolded, right? Her sense of, well, everything had just been distorted… Right?

  “My hypothesis,” he said, “do you want to know what it was?”

  “Definitely,” she answered without hesitation.

  “I wanted to test whether the dormant Meyarin blood in your veins—Aven’s blood—could be utilised.”

  Alex felt her slowly calming heartbeat pick up speed again. “What are you saying?”

  “Alex, I believe you can choose to access Aven’s Meyarin characteristics because of his blood that resides in you,” he said. “But whether or not you can only do so under duress is yet to be seen. That’s why I blindfolded you—sometimes we rely too heavily on what we see and miss out on opportunities to have faith in what we feel.”

  “But you couldn’t see either,” Alex reminded him, her tone thick with accusation at the memory of his risky actions.

  “I’ve participated in many similar exercises before,” he assured her. “I wouldn’t have let any harm come to you. There was one potentially dangerous situation you faced, but you surprised me when you drew your own blade to save yourself.” He glanced around the mat and added, “Your weapon sang beautifully. May I see it?”

  Alex raised her eyebrows at his wording, before looking down to where she’d dropped her blade. But there was nothing there.

  “I… Uh… Um…”

  She had no idea how to answer, but fortunately he smiled at her and said, “Don’t worry, I’m not going to take it from you. You handled it so well that you’ve earned the right to keep it hidden, if that’s your wish.”

  He rose to his feet and offered her his hand. Since every muscle in her body ached, she was grateful for the assistance.

  “We’d better return to the others,” he said, pressing the coded rhythm into the mat again to lower the barrier around them. “I’m sure they’ll be curious about what we’ve been doing.”

  “What will you tell them?” Alex asked, following as he led the way back to the small group waiting at the other end of the massive training room.

  “Just that I wanted to witness your fighting ability for myself, without prying eyes.”

  “You don’t want your, uh, companions to know about your hypothesis?” she asked, not quite sure how to label the other Meyarins, one of whom was the king. “Don’t you trust them?”

  He turned to look at her as they walked. “It’s not my companions I don’t trust.”

  Reading the implication in his words, Alex opened her mouth to defend her friends, but he continued talking.

  “I know I don’t have any input over what you say and do, Alex, but I strongly advise against telling anyone what we just discovered. If Aven learns about the abilities he’s inadvertently given you, he’ll stop at nothing to get to you.”

  “He’s already pretty desperate to get his hands on me,” Alex said. “It’s no secret that he wants me dead.”

  “True as that may be,” the Meyarin said, reaching out and bringing her to a halt, “if he learns the full threat you pose to him, he’ll be more desperate than ever to keep you from ruining his plans.”

  “Me? A threat to him?” Alex released an incredulous laugh. “Are you mad?”

  “The blood in your veins allows you to use his immortal abilities—not general Meyarin characteristics, but Aven’s personal genetic traits,” the Meyarin said, his face solemn enough to instantly erase Alex’s disbelief. “Your strength, your speed, your heightened senses; you draw from the essence of Aven’s blood when you access those characteristics inherent to the Meyarin race. The connection between you two, even with the bond severed…” He trailed off and shook his head, looking at her with compassionate eyes. “Alex, you’re not like his other Claimed victims. You share his power. How much of it, only time will tell. But the potential you possess will paint you as a threat, of that there is no doubt.”

  Alex once again felt like she was going to throw up. “But I’m not—I’m not powerful. I’m nothing like Aven—I’m just me.”

  “I’m sorry, Alex,” he said, his voice gentle. “But it was definitely his power I felt leaking out of you when we fought. That much is true.”

  “But—But I’m not Claimed anymore!” she said, almost hysterically. Then she gasped. “Wait—does that mean I’m like you now? That I’m immortal? That I’m not human anymore?” Heart pounding, she continued blurting out her spiralling fears. “You said I can access the Meyarin characteristics, but that doesn’t mean I’m, like, doing it all the time, right? You said the power is dormant in me… right?”

  “Alex, breathe.” He sent her a comforting look. “You’re definitely not Claimed, and you’re definitely human. You could choose to never tap into Aven’s power and live a perfectly normal life. If you do decide to test the limits of the blood in your veins, you’ll still remain mortal because you are no longer bound to Aven’s life force. But if Aven learns that his power lingers in your veins, he’ll either want to kill you more than he already does, or he’ll want to find a way to manipulate you to further his own plans. That’s why I believe the knowledge of your blood should be kept between as few people as possible. To keep you safe… or at least, safer.”

  Alex took a moment to let his words wash over her until she forced herself to be calm again. Only then did she say, “But I trust my friends. I don’t keep secrets from them.”

  “Please, Alex,” he said, his expressive eyes begging her to understand. “Don’t let them know about your blood. At least not until we know more.”

  Alex could see nothing but genuine concern in his gaze— concern for her. So, despite how difficult it was, she nodded her agreement. “I won’t tell them for now. But I reserve the right to do so in the future.”

  He released the breath he’d been holding and smiled. “I can accept that compromise.”

  And with their agreement, the Meyarin resumed walking.

&nb
sp; They were almost back to their companions when Alex said, “After all that, are you still not going to tell me your name? You did nearly decapitate me, you know. Surely that earns me something.”

  The Meyarin chuckled and glanced sideways at her. “It’s Roka.”

  Roka. Cool name.

  … And one that Alex had heard before.

  She strained her thoughts for some kind of recognition, and finally a hazy memory came back to her.

  “Prince Roka?” she choked out. “You’re Aven’s brother?”

  He laughed at her reaction but didn’t have a chance to respond before they reached the others. Her friends must have heard her exclamation, since the three of them were staring at the Meyarin with wide eyes.

  “Is everything all right?” the king asked.

  Alex couldn’t help but stare at Astophe, searching for the similarities between him, Roka and Aven and finding few. Roka had his father’s bearing and kingly stature, but his dark hair must have come from his mother, while Aven shared the king’s golden locks. As far as Alex could tell, the only thing both Aven and Roka had in common were their eyes, but they didn’t inherit those from the king, either. The remarkable colour should have clued Alex in much earlier to Roka’s identity, but she’d been a tad overwhelmed by everything else to note the minor resemblance between him and his brother. For all she’d known, golden eyes were the norm in Meya. And there was little else in Roka’s appearance—or character— that was mimicked in his evil sibling, at least from Alex’s perspective.

  “Everything is fine,” Roka assured his father, and Alex wondered why they’d been asked the question in the first place. But then D.C. walked over and prodded her arm where the Meyarin’s blade had bit into her flesh, causing Alex to wince.

  “You’re bleeding,” D.C. stated. “Why are you bleeding?”

  “More interestingly,” Jordan said, “why is he bleeding?”

  Alex followed his gaze and was surprised to see a few small cuts along Roka’s arms that glittered silver. She must have nicked him with her blade, as unfathomable as the idea was. She glanced at him apologetically and wondered what the punishment was for drawing blood from the crown prince of Meya.

  Roka’s face lit with humour when he saw her expression, probably figuring out where her thoughts were leading her. He tried to reassure her with a smile, but it did little good since the other Meyarins were also staring at the wounds on their prince.

  “We’re both perfectly fine,” Roka repeated. “I merely wanted to experience Alex’s fighting skills for myself. And you were right, Zain. She’s impressive—for a human, anyway. But she still has a lot to learn.”

  “How did she injure you?” Kyia asked curiously.

  “I was blindfolded.”

  While the answer was enough of an explanation for Alex’s friends, the other Meyarins looked at Roka dubiously. Their super-senses would have allowed them to hear the conversation between him and Alex as they’d walked back across the mat, so the Meyarins would have heard all about Aven’s blood in her veins. Curiosity was splashed across their beautiful faces.

  “Trae selve raen de linare,” Roka said quietly, and their expressions cleared as they all nodded.

  Alex might not have understood the words he’d said, but she was fairly confident he’d just told them he would explain later. Unfortunately, she couldn’t offer the same assurances to her friends.

  “What happens now?” Alex asked, wanting to move the conversation along to safer topics.

  “Now it’s time for you and your friends to go home, Alex,” King Astophe said.

  “That’s it?” Jordan asked, disappointed. “We can’t see more of the city?”

  “You’ve seen more of Meya than any other mortal has in millennia,” the king said with a trace of amused indulgence. “While your enthusiasm is admirable, you should understand that the last humans to set foot in our city caused a ripple effect unforgotten over the centuries. There are many of our kind who won’t take kindly to learning of your presence here. Not all of the Garseth were captured with my son’s banishment, and those who remain hidden won’t hesitate to show their allegiances should a whisper of Aven’s return reach their ears. It’s for your own safety that I ask you to leave.”

  Jordan opened his mouth to argue, but Alex interrupted before he could make his opinion known.

  “Thank you, King Astophe,” she said. “We’re aware our arrival was an unanticipated surprise, and we’re grateful for the time you’ve given us. Do you mind if I ask what your plans are regarding Aven?”

  The king eyed her speculatively, as if he was deciding what to tell her. “I’ll bring the information you shared to the attention of my council, and together we’ll make a decision. What happens after that will depend a great deal on Aven’s next move.”

  Alex nodded. It was none of her business, really, and she was surprised that Astophe had answered her. Surprised and pleased. She’d somehow earned the Meyarin ruler’s respect, although she wasn’t certain how she’d managed such a feat.

  “Kyia will return you to Raelia,” the king said. “Unless there’s somewhere else you can leave from? Somewhere that doesn’t involve treading upon our sacred Crossroads?”

  Alex winced at the hope in his voice. Clearly Raelia was a very important place for them, but there was nothing she could do about that. “I’m sorry, Your Majesty. We can only return using the door we entered through.”

  The king sighed in resignation. “So be it.”

  Alex bowed to him and her friends followed suit. She looked over at Roka, wondering if she should bow to him as well. He must have seen the question on her face and he laughed quietly, shaking his head at her. She chose to interpret that as a ‘no’, rather than as him thinking her ridiculous. But both options were equally plausible.

  “Despite the circumstances of your arrival and the news you’ve brought, it has been a pleasure to speak once more with those of your race,” King Astophe said. “I hope our paths meet again one day.”

  Alex wasn’t sure what to say in response so she smiled and nodded her head.

  “I enjoyed fighting with you, little human,” Zain told her. “I’ll look forward to a repeat performance in the future.”

  Alex didn’t want to be rude to the scary guard by saying “no way in hell”, so she kept her mouth shut and once again nodded with a polite smile plastered to her face. The big Meyarin seemed amused by her noncommittal response, if his grin was anything to go by.

  “I have a feeling we’ll see each other again soon, Alex,” Roka said to her. “Until then, stay safe.”

  The smile she gave Roka was genuine. “You too. And thanks for… you know… your experiment. And for explaining things to me. I guess you’re not so cryptic after all.”

  Roka’s golden eyes sparkled, the warmth in them so different from his brother’s. “Well, I already told you how annoying cryptic-ness can be.”

  “And I told you that’s not a real word,” Alex returned.

  “Goodbye, Alex,” Roka said affectionately, and he followed the king and Zain over to where they had first arrived in the vaulted room. The three Meyarins disappeared from view when the Valispath swept them out of sight.

  “Follow me, mortals,” Kyia said, leading Alex and her friends over to the invisible rollercoaster.

  The Valispath transported them through the palace and continued until they were outside and speeding across the radiant city. The sun was beginning to set behind the cliffs on the horizon and the fading light illuminated the shining Myrox all around them. Mystical trees glinted high above on the Golden Cliffs in the distance; waterfalls sparkled down into the valley like liquefied rays of light; and the river below glistened as if it contained the essence of a thousand stars. The view took Alex’s breath away and she craned her neck to and fro as the Valispath moved them towards the top of the cliffs.

  She expected the Valispath to stop there, but they continued on, speeding through the gold trees as they quickly turned
to silver.

  “Where are we going?” Alex yelled over the wind.

  Kyia turned to look at Alex, one eyebrow quirked. “Raelia, of course. Where else?”

  “The Valispath can take us straight there? Why didn’t we use it the first time?”

  “The Eternal Path can take us anywhere we want,” Kyia told her. “And you wouldn’t have had the chance to enjoy the beauty of Meya properly if you hadn’t first witnessed it from the top of the Golden Cliffs.”

  Alex contemplated that as they continued speeding through the Silverwood and offered a meaningful, “Thank you, Kyia.”

  The Meyarin tilted her head in acknowledgement as the Valispath began to slow, soon coming to a smooth stop.

  “This is where our journey ends,” Kyia said when Alex and her friends were back on their feet.

  “Sorry you didn’t get to shoot one of us,” Jordan said with a smirk.

  Kyia mimicked his cocky expression. “There’s still time if you want a demonstration?”

  “Ah, no,” he said, his smirk fading. “I’m good, thanks.”

  “Let’s go before you say something stupid and end up with an arrow through your spleen,” D.C. said, dragging Jordan and Bear into the mushroom circle.

  Alex smiled at Kyia once more and moved to follow her friends, but she paused when the Meyarin reached out to gently grasp her arm.

  “Alex,” Kyia said quietly, using her name for the first time. “Be careful. Aven Dalmarta is… He’s the worst of our kind.”

  Alex blinked at the Meyarin’s warning, touched by her concern.

  “I will,” she promised. “I hope we’ll get a chance to meet again, Kyia.”

  “As do I,” Kyia agreed with a slight smile, making her already stunning face even more radiant. With those parting words, she turned and walked away, disappearing into the trees surrounding Raelia.

  Alex looked into the woods one last time then stepped over the mushroom boundary and approached her friends.