by K.N. Lee
“Get away from me.” She held the scissors up like a pointing finger. She glared at their terrified faces. “All of you!”
They scrambled and ran from the alley. Lilae watched them run away and sighed. She almost hurt Kelsi. She wanted nothing more than to hurt that girl. Kelsi had three girls with her, but she would have been defenseless. Shame slowly crept onto Lilae as she stared at the puddle of Kelsi’s urine. She kicked dirt over it.
“Lilae,” Anic said softly as he approached her. His face was troubled. “I’m sorry.”
Lilae avoided his eyes, still ashamed at her outburst. He came over to her and took her hands in his. “It’s ok Anic. I overreacted. I know you didn’t mean anything by what you said.”
He shook his head. “Of course not. I really like you…but you already knew that,” he tried to smile for her.
Lilae stared at his face. Her eyebrows scrunched together. “Why?” she asked suddenly. She wondered why anyone would like her.
“Because you’re different. You didn’t know my father had money, or of my inheritance. You like me for me.” He held her face in his hands and leaned in to kiss her.
Lilae pulled her head back. “I’m not in the mood to kiss you Anic. Not now,” she said.
His head hung as she pulled her hands from his. “I understand.”
Lilae tilted his chin and feigned a smile. “It’s nothing you did. You have no idea all that’s happening. I fear for all of these good people in Lowen’s Edge. Reeka, you, your family, my family. I fear for myself.
“I know what you mean. My father’s workload has increased. I think something’s going to happen. King Moor refuses to submit to the Empire.”
Lilae nodded. “Exactly. This emperor is supposed to be ruthless, and he is allied with Shadow Elves, Anic. You think those royal soldiers can protect us against them?”
Anic looked reflective. “My god Lilae, you sure have been thinking about this a lot. I never really thought about it. No one has ever seen a Shadow Elf. No one around here that is. How do we know they mean us harm?”
Lilae made a face. She wondered if any of those people swarming the square knew what the other races were like. “Trust me. They won’t come through The Barrier to make friends.”
Anic grumbled. “You are in a gloomy mood today.” His eyes brightened. “Want to get a drink? I could use one. There’s no work today or tomorrow. Might as well right? It will cheer you up. We can go to The Bling Cow and to the grotto to watch the sunset.”
Lilae shook her head slowly. She tried to ignore that warning feeling in her stomach. It was annoying her not knowing what it was. Anic didn’t seem to feel the coming danger. The people of Lowen’s Edge, except the royal soldiers, were oblivious to what was happening beyond their borders.
She sighed. There was no use talking to him about such things. “Can we just get away from all of these people?”
Anic nodded, growing excited at the notion of having Lilae to himself. “Sure. Whatever you want. Come on. We can go to the Garden District.”
Lilae’s face brightened. She nodded with growing excitement. “I would love to see a garden actually.”
“I can’t figure you out, Lilae,” Anic said. “You act all hard but I think you’re actually a sweet girl. Why do you try so hard to pretend you’re not?”
Lilae shrugged as they walked along the outer road that led to the Noble Square. She hadn’t been to the area where Risa and Jaiza would soon move with their husbands.
“It’s easier to be short with people or blend in the shadows.”
“Blend? You’re crazy. You could never blend in. You’re too beautiful,” he grinned. He looked her up and down. “And tall.”
She gave a small smile. “It’s just that when you move as much as I do, there’s really no point in making friends. Is there?”
“Of course there’s a point,” Anic said. “I get what you mean, but it sounds like a boring life. Aren’t you glad we met? We have fun together don’t we?”
“Yes we do.”
He put an arm around her shoulder. She tensed when he kissed her cheek. “I’m glad I met you, Lilae. Even if it does make those other girls jealous…not to mention Jacodi.”
“What?”
Anic chuckled, leading her to the paved roads of the Garden District. “Kelsi always assumed we’d get together. I guess it made sense. Our fathers are really close friends, but she’s not like you. She can be such a brat.”
“Oh.” Lilae nodded. “That explains why she and the other girls hate me. But what did you mean about Jacodi? He never even speaks to me. He just waves and runs away. It’s weird.”
Anic gave her a sidelong glance. “He’s practically obsessed. He won’t even speak to me anymore.”
“Weird.”
Anic shrugged. They arrived at the brass gates and Lilae’s eyes widened. Something warned her to not enter those gates, and then she saw why. Women in robes were walking through the square, going from house to house. Lilae took a step back.
Anic frowned. “What are they doing here?”
“Perhaps it’s not a good time. I’ll see you at sunset.” Lilae looked at the sky.
Anic nodded. “You’re right. Best to stay away from them.” He smirked. “I can’t have them take my Lilae off to a monastery. I’d never see you again.”
She took her hand from his and started away when one of the Sister’s met eyes with her. An unexpected memory came to her then. She’d seen that woman before.
Lilae frowned. It couldn’t be the same woman. Her eyes though, were familiar.
Was it Sabron? Halwan? Perhaps Mordrow? All Lilae knew was that each time they’d seen those women in robes, the same thing happened. She knew then that their time there would soon come to an end.
“Meet me at our spot tonight.” She sighed. There’s something I need to tell you.”
Chapter 18
“Clear your mind, Lilae. Feel your power,” Delia said.
She stood a few feet away from Lilae, her voice calm and low. Lilae could hear her soft footsteps behind her.
“When I was created at the beginning of this world, I saw what power looked like. I am created from Ancient power. My entire body,” Delia tilted her head. “Well, my true body is composed of it. But what people don’t know is that power is like a separate being.”
“Like a mist, or a current, it soars through your body, seeking out uses for itself. I believe you use it more than you know. Once you clear your mind though, you can tap into more energy. Your power is in your core, but you have to learn to tap into it and use it without wasting so much energy. This is something different than your Focus or Evasion, Lilae.”
Delia waved a hand and red light swirled before her. Lilae stood completely still as she watched the red light swirl in circles before her. She flinched when it flew out to her and vanished.
“It’s more animalistic. The Ancients made it so that you could use it instinctually if necessary, but, in order to fully use it, you need to understand everything about it. Like the miles you run with Pirin and the girls each morning, the exercises and the mock sword fights, you need to practice. You train so that you’ll know what to do when you really need to fight. Embed the power and the forces within your muscles, so that they will come naturally.”
Lilae could feel Delia’s presence, even if she couldn’t see her. She knew exactly where she stood and couldn’t help feeling that what they were doing was silly. She could feel it inside of her, but like a stubborn child, her power refused to come when called. She reached and willed it to sprout forth, but her mind was elsewhere that warm evening.
Lilae couldn't focus. She had promised Anic that she would meet him at sunset. She imagined him waiting there for her, thinking that she had stood him up. She held her dagger and stood in the center of Delia’s cottage.
It was completely dark in the room and she couldn't concentrate on her task. For weeks, she and Anic had been together every day. Between the taverns and the shows he to
ok her to around the village, she had been exposed to such fun that she had never felt. She finally felt as though she were making up for lost time, for the lost childhood she had never experienced.
“Are you focusing Lilae? You should be able to do something by now.”
Lilae could hear Delia growing irritable by her lack of results and she tried harder. Still, she was unable to do anything. She felt cold to the power. Other feelings and emotions were taking its place. She thought of Anic, and how his lips had come so close to her own. She knew that tonight she would maybe be brave enough to experience that first kiss.
“Lilae!” Delia called, breaking Lilae from her thoughts. “By Elahe’s grace! This is important!”
Lilae's shoulders slumped and she lowered her dagger. She looked over her shoulder at Delia sheepishly. “I can't do it.” Her face flushed with embarrassment. She couldn’t believe that she had let her mind wander like that. She knew she was losing grip on what was important.
Delia grunted with exasperation. With a flick of her hand she lit the assortment of candles all around the room. She ripped the dagger from Lilae’s hand. She looked into Lilae’s face with eyes of ice. Lilae stepped away from that scowl.
“What's wrong with you lately?” Delia was visibly frustrated. Her cheeks reddened with anger.
Lilae shrugged. She looked down at the stone floor. She couldn’t stand to have Delia give her that look. “I’m sorry.”
“You come home drunk almost every night!” She wriggled her finger in Lilae’s face. “And with the blacksmith’s boy no less!” Her hands dropped to her sides and she shook her head. “I need you to take this seriously. You cannot do this Lilae. Do not let a boy lead you astray.”
Lilae stood there awkwardly. She didn’t know that Delia was aware of her nightly excursions. She looked down at the floor. A spider walked across the floor between them. She watched it, with its long skinny legs, hoping for a diversion from Delia’s heated scolding.
Delia’s voice softened but only slightly; the edge was still present. “You don't understand how important it is for you to learn this skill Lilae. You can do things that people couldn’t even dream of, and were losing time every day you slack on your studies. You are the only human who can attempt this.”
“I said that I was sorry. What do you expect me to do?”
Delia threw her hands open. “There is so much dependent on you. You have no idea how long we’ve waited for you.”
Lilae lifted an eyebrow, and looked at Delia skeptically. “Why Delia? Why now? You are hiding something. I know it.” She pointed a finger at Delia. “Why are you so anxious to teach me about my power now? “How can I do anything when you are keeping secrets?”
Delia pursed her lips. She began ridding the cottage of clutter, silently fuming.
“Exactly,” Lilae said, exasperated. She motioned towards her dagger in Delia's hand. “Maybe if I knew what we are actually doing, it would be easier to focus! I wake up before anyone else, to train. I work all day! And then, you expect me to come here each night to summon some power that obviously doesn’t want to be summoned. When do I get to have a life of my own?” Her face was saddened and her chest heaved as she felt herself growing agitated. “When do I get a break from all of these demands? Is this what I am Delia? Is this all there is for me?”
“Go home Lilae. We're done for tonight.” Delia shook her head and started towards her room in the back of the cottage. “I don't know when you started to lose focus. But,” she sighed, her hands dropping to her sides. “You disappoint me.”
Lilae sucked in a breath. Those words infuriated her more than anything. She was only one girl. She couldn't please everyone. Her pulse raced as her cheeks grew hot. She was tired of the secrets. “I’m sorry I disappoint you so much!”
The candles flames blazed wildly and Delia paused at the door. She sucked in a breath and looked over her shoulder at Lilae whose hands were balled into fists.
“Lilae?” Delia called softly.
Lilae didn't respond. She didn't move. Delia motioned for her to calm down, slowly approaching her. She took a chance and placed a gentle hand on Lilae's shoulder. She caressed her softly.
“Don't touch me!” Lilae growled, her voice booming in the small room.
Delia stepped away and Lilae stormed from the room before she could stop her.
Lilae ran from the cottage and into the dark forest. She knew she had to control her emotions. She couldn't help wanting to please everyone, it was what she had strived to achieve all of her life. Not a day went by when Lilae didn’t crave affection and approval. To hear Delia say that she was disappointed hurt her deeply.
She could hear Lhana laughing at her already. Anytime Lilae had failed at something, Lhana would have a snide remark; the failures were a reminder that Lilae wasn’t the prodigy Pirin and Delia thought she was. Lilae fumed. She didn’t want to go home. She wanted to run, far, far, away. And so she did. She ran.
Lilae’s anger rose and the power boiled within her. She barely felt the ground beneath her feet as she raced through the woods. She ran deeper and deeper until she became tired. She paused and caught her breath. Through her rage she didn't even know which direction was home anymore. All she saw was black darkness all around her.
It was abnormally quiet. She swirled around. It was too dark to see where she was. She had lost her way. The trees were clustered closely together, blocking out any light from the moon. Something ran across her feet and she jumped with a squeal.
Must have been a mouse or something, Lilae thought to herself. Her eyes tried to see what it was. Normally she wouldn’t have worried about what it was, but with the strange beasts of Nostfar running wild, she was on edge. She wished she had paid attention to where she was going. She scolded herself for letting her anger get the best of her.
She felt uneasy. Something watched her. Lilae turned to her left and her heart nearly stopped when she saw something large staring at her with glowing eyes from between the thickness of the trees. Lilae gasped and stumbled backwards. She fell hard into the dirt, the color draining from her face. The darkness was smothering. She felt her skin crawl with fear.
Her eyes widened as she met the large orange and black eyes of a basilisk. Lilae remembered seeing the drawings in Delia’s journal when she was a child. Those eyes, shaped like crescent moons, were nearly as large as her head. Its body was covered in shiny black scales and it drew up its barbed tail like a scorpion, pointing the sharp edge towards Lilae.
Lilae suddenly understood why the fence around the village was so tall. The basilisk’s massive body towered over her. It blocked the light of the moon and she gazed up at it in horror.
Lilae stiffened and held her breath. It sniffed the air as it walked. She gulped as large, blunt, teeth flashed through its snarl. She shivered as she realized that the basilisk had two sets of teeth, the pointier set crisscrossing through its snarl. Her anger at Delia dissipated and was replaced with terror.
It seemed as though they were in a staring match; nothing but tension and silence passed between them. Her mind raced as she tried to decide what to do. Lilae was afraid that if she breathed too loudly, that the beast would strike. She didn’t want to die.
She risked crawling an inch backwards and their eyes locked. The basilisk growled deep within its throat and charged towards her. With a shriek, Lilae sprang into action, scrambling to her feet. The basilisk stomped closer to her, the ground shaking beneath its clawed feet. Her breaths were erratic.
She ran blind. For once, she wasn’t fast enough. The barbed tail swung and landed square across her stomach. Lilae grunted at the sudden pain. The wind was knocked out of her. The barbs penetrated her flesh. Her hair whipped around her face as she flew through the night and into a tree.
Lilae’s head barely missed slamming into the tree and she was grateful. She slid to the ground with a cry. She gasped for breath as the sharp pain overwhelmed her. She held her wounded stomach. The blood soaked through her t
hin tunic and onto her fingers. She hadn’t the time to nurse her wounds or focus on the excruciating pain, for the basilisk was quickly after her again.
Lilae barely had a chance to scramble to her feet as it galloped after her.
Lilae had never felt so helpless in her entire life. She was weaponless and weak against the beast that chased her. While holding her wounded stomach, she ran deeper into the woods. The basilisk relentlessly tracked her. She imagined it had an endless supply of energy that would outlast her own, and that it would not stop until she was a meal.
Her breaths came out ragged and labored. Everything seemed to burn. Lilae’s eyes wildly searched for an escape. The Winds whispered incoherently and Lilae’s mind was filled with too many thoughts so she couldn’t understand what they were saying to her. Lilae glanced over her shoulder to see the large body quaking the earth as it followed. The night air fogged out of its nostrils, and it grunted like a bull.
Lilae shrieked when it abruptly stopped and swung its barbed tail at her again. The creature slammed her into the ground with one large paw, to pin her thin body to the forest’s floor. Lilae squirmed and screamed at the top of her lungs. Her stomach and legs felt as though they were being crushed. She hoped that someone would hear her.
“Help me! Help me! Please!”
She beat at the beast’s face and kicked with all of her strength as its fangs drew close to her face. Thick, acidic, saliva dripped onto her face as the tip of the basilisk’s tooth began to pierce her throat. A spark ignited inside of Lilae. Energy soared through every vein, heating her to her core. She gasped as a bright light began to crackle between her palms.
For the first time she had enough light to see the nightmarish face of her assailant. The sparks grew until it became a blast of fire. She reached out towards the basilisk, her eyes wild and her hands covered in flames. The fierce flames lit the entire forest clearing with a brightness that made her squint.
Dumbfounded, Lilae stared at her hands as the fire sprouted from her palms. The flames licked and flickered wildly, traveling to her elbows. She let out one last scream, fearful that soon she would be burnt to ash.