by Eliza Tilton
“Is this your favorite spot?” she asked.
“Yes.”
The rope swing Derrick and I had tied to one of the trees swayed with the breeze. I couldn’t remember the last time I had used it. With a steady breath, I climbed up the tree and scooted to the branch where the rope was tied.
“What are you doing with that rope?”
Raven stood below me as I tested the balance.
“Making sure the swing is secured.”
“A swing? For what?”
“You’ll see.”
She kicked a rock. “I’m going in.” She didn’t bother taking off her trousers or chemise, just jumped right in to the cool water.
I tugged on the rope while I watched her black hair fan across the water. Being here with her didn’t remind me of the death that used to hover over this place. Her love tethered me to the ground, keeping me sane and secure. I wanted to tell her about Jimri. This would be the perfect time, but watching her breach the surface, smiling, and closing her eyes to the suns, I didn’t want to ruin the moment. I wanted to make a new memory with her. One I could hold onto through all the darkness.
A thief, a warrior, she was everything I needed.
And wanted.
“Are you done yet?” She spread her arms across the water, floating on her back. The tan chemise stuck to her chest showing off her curves. I would do anything to see that top thrown off onto the grass. Raven might run around with daggers, but when it came to her own body, she shied away.
“Almost.” I slid down the tree and checked the foothold at the end of the rope. The loop was wide enough to put your foot on. With all my weight, I tugged, testing the strength of the branch. “You ready to try it?”
In a flash, she swam to the bank and walked to the tree. Water dripped off her hair, sliding down her tan cheeks, every patch of fabric stuck to her skin making me wish she wouldn’t bother with any of it.
“Come here,” I said and waved her over. “Grab here and stick your foot in the loop.”
She gripped the rope and stepped into the loop. I held her waist, and my heart raced. I let her presence calm my fear.
“What do I do?”
I stepped behind her, resting my chin on her shoulder. “I’m going to push you out. Let go once you’re over the lake.”
The suns shone bright in the afternoon sky. The Eyes of The Creator sparkling down on this beautiful girl.
I kissed the soft skin of her neck. “On three.”
“One … two … three.”
She squealed as I pushed her forward, sending her flying. Once far enough out, she let go, laughing until she splashed into the water.
“That was amazing! Now you go,” she said when she popped up.
Even though Jimri’s death wasn’t my fault, and I had no reason to fear lakes anymore, I still hadn’t jumped back into one. Day after day, I had watched Raven dive around the cool waters back in Daath, begging me to come in with her chocolate eyes and full lips. All this time, I had stood frozen to the ground unable to move past the pain and guilt.
But not anymore.
I wiped the sweat off my palms, grabbed the rope, and took a flying leap. I smiled as the wind lifted me, pushing me forward, and when I let go, the fear of swimming left. Cool water flooded around my skin as I fell into the lake. A rush of excitement skittered across my skin and I searched the waters for Raven. When I spotted her thin legs, I swam over and grabbed her, popping above the surface as she squealed and laugh.
She put her hands around my neck and I held her waist, forcing her closer.
“I never thought you would ever swim with me.” A smile so bright and beautiful crossed her face.
“Sorry it took so long.”
We waded in the lake, and the longer her body stayed near mine, the more I wanted to kiss her. My heart beat like a drum, banging against my chest, and when she pulled me closer, I knew hers did the same wild dance. With our faces only a few breaths apart, I moved my hand to the back of her neck, tangling it within her dark hair.
“I love you,” I whispered.
Her lips parted and before she could respond, I kissed her. She tilted her head, allowing our lips to connect more deeply. The faint honey scent of her hair lingered on the air, and it didn’t matter what she would say, I loved her, and nothing in the world would ever take her away.
She was mine, and I was hers.
Chapter Nine
Avikar
Father sat outside on the old rocker, squeaking back and forth, keeping watch over the farm. I sat on the porch steps below him.
Mother prepared more food than normal, and between the roasted pig, stuffed mushrooms, and butter cake, my stomach was ready to explode. Yawning, I shook my head, trying to wake up. If I didn’t need to talk to Father so badly, I would have fallen right asleep.
But where would I start?
“You made it over the mountains,” he said, breaking the silence.
“Only on the way back.” I turned to face him. “We went through the first time.”
“Never thought the Thirteenth Land existed …”
“Father … so much has happened.” I paused, gauging his blank expression. “I have questions.”
He nodded, watching the clear night.
I slipped the ancestral dagger out of its sheath. “This isn’t a simple dagger.”
He stopped rocking. “No, it’s not.”
Moonlight glimmered against the runes etched on the hilt. “These runes are carved into the floor of a temple in Daath. A temple where I fought a shapeshifter and almost died.” I gripped the shaft. “When I fought the ice spiders, this was the only blade that could pierce them, and Lucy … this stopped her magic. The Deadwood … I unfroze animals that were stuck in crystal.” I stood, unable to sit. “When Stormwood was attacked, we fled to the king, trying to warn him. He didn’t believe us, refused to listen, even imprisoned Raven! But his son snuck us out. He believed us because he knew you … He knew you.” The dagger shook in my hand.
“Avikar.”
“All these years, you lied about your past. Why? You could’ve warned me about the shapeshifters. Yet you didn’t. Why?”
“Come.” Father stood, then grabbed a lantern and headed to the barn.
My heart raced as I followed him through the dark. Why was he being so silent? I needed answers. Inside the barn, Brushfire’s stall stood empty. He could’ve put another horse there, but … did he believe I would always return?
He went to the back where we kept extra bales. “Hold this.” He handed me the lantern and swept away hay and dirt, then pressed his palms into two hidden grooves in the floor. A hatch opened.
In the ten years that I’d worked in the barn, I’d never noticed this secret door.
The light from the lantern bobbed in the darkness as I followed Father down a ladder into a darkened space below the barn. When we reached the bottom, I stood still as he lit two lanterns on the wall. Light filled a secret room. Shelves filled the right side wall, overflowing with scrolls, a map of Tarrtainya pinned to the opposite side, the sides stretched out and held with nails. A weapon rack with swords, maces and a double sided spear covered the back wall. Daggers, throwing knives and short swords hung by hooks above the rack. All of this below the barn and I never knew.
“Prince Edwin was six years old when I became part of his guard.” Father pointed at one of the chairs by the table and I sat. “I thought the job was beneath me. I loathed being a babysitter, but the prince was a good lad. Good heart. Not like his older brother.”
This was the most Father had spoken to me in years. My pulse raced with curiosity and I dug my hand into my pocket to grab one of my marbles.
“It wasn’t my turn to watch, but the night had an eerie sense to it. I decided to check on the prince. When I arrived, the second guard, Tomas, was aslee
p outside the door. I awoke him to ask where the other guard was when a shuffle sounded from inside the bedroom. I pushed open the door to find the other guard inside with his hand on the prince’s neck.”
Father finally sat in a chair across from me. “I drew my sword and ran, but the guard was stronger than me. We fought, and my sword fell. As he came in for an attack, I grabbed my father’s dagger and threw it at his neck. His skin changed, it became scaly and green—he didn’t look human—then he died.” Father’s face scrunched as he re-lived the tale. “I had never seen anything like it … it was unnatural.”
Silence hung between us. Our battles were so similar.
“Tomas and I discarded the body, unsure what to make of it. We told Prince Edwin to stay silent. We weren’t sure who else in the guard wasn’t human. No one could be trusted.”
“I was discharged from my post due to a wound during the fight. It was then I started the Red Hand, a secret sect that sought out these shapechangers to do away with them.”
My head spun with the information. How could he not tell me? How could he know all that and live on a farm as if nothing happened?
The chair scraped against the floor as I scooted closer.
I was too angry and confused to speak. Why didn’t he tell me this before? Did he think so little of me? I rubbed the marble in my pocket, back and forth in my palm, searching for the right question.
“Avikar …”
“You should have told me the truth.”
“I didn’t think you were ready for it.”
“Well, the truth found me, didn’t it?” I stood, shaking my head. “I need air.”
“Wait, there’s more.”
More?
I don’t know how long we stayed in that hidden room, but the more I learned about our family history, the more I understood the burden my father carried and how his father, the one to acquire the dagger, had kept the shapeshifters a secret from him.
When we emerged from the barn, dawn broke through the night clouds. My head pounded with the weight of lies and truth, and exhaustion filled every muscle. I crawled into my old loft and pulled the blanket over my head. There was so much about our family I wanted to know. Tomorrow, I could ask my father more.
For now, I would sleep in my own bed, and relish in the comfort of home.
Chapter Ten
Jeslyn
A sliver of excitement bloomed in my chest, replacing the usual ache of anxiety. Queen Velaria had agreed to take me to the light room, the place where the servants created those fascinating pieces of jewelry, and where I hoped to create my own masterpieces.
The queen glided out of her chambers. The ivory fabric of her gown hung loosely around her arms and tightened around her torso with a high-collared neck the color of midnight. I kept my gaze toward the floor, trying not to stare at the plunging bodice.
“I’ll escort you to the light room and have one of the guards bring you back later. If you do well, you may spend time there when I don’t require your services.”
“Will they wonder why I don’t stay in the servant’s quarters?”
“If they do, they will not voice it.”
We left her room and entered the hallway. Two hulking guards flanked our sides, their vibrant green skin and sharp features a constant reminder I was no longer in Daath. I watched my reflection on the mirrored walls as we walked, wanting to run my fingers over the olive coloring of my cheeks.
Queen Velaria stepped into the metal cylinder that would take us to another level of the castle. A red column of light showered over us, warm and strangely tingling. She pressed a button and in a flash of red, we arrived at our destination. Even though this was my third time in the strange contraption, my mind whirled from the sudden movement. Why couldn’t they use the stairs?
The transporter brought us to another barren corridor with only a muted red crystal enhancing the walls. An urge to hug myself rippled through me, but I ignored the sensation. The guard opened a door on the right, a soft amber hue glowing from within the room, drawing me in. The queen entered and I eagerly followed. Lit, angled metal tables sat next to each other in the center of the room. Servants fiddled with stones at the tables, using a strange silver tool. Brilliant flashes of color emanated from the various beads and stones.
A girl with silver hair and emerald skin approached the queen.
“This is Geneva,” Queen Velaria said. “She is the royal jeweler. She’ll teach you how to use the light board. See she learns well.” Without so much as a glance my way, the queen left.
This little bit of freedom filled me with exhilaration. If the queen allowed me to go to the light-room unguarded, I might be able to slip out to the lab and visit Hadda. I missed her so much.
“Your name?”
“Aurora.”
“Follow me.”
She sat me at an empty table. The top glowed. “Have you worked with a light board before?”
I shook my head. “No.”
“The process is simple.” She grabbed a black pencil-shaped object. “This is a fuser. You’ll use it to fuse the pieces together.” She tapped the upper left corner. “Up here are thousands of pre-programmed designs; swipe left or right to shuffle through the patterns.”
A black outline of a multi-stranded necklace appeared on the board.
“Click the yellow button on the fuser to select the beads, which are over here.”
Shades of varying colors, shapes and sizes aligned on the right side of the lit table. Every shade you could imagine arrayed in a rainbow.
“Choose a color, shape, and size.”
She tapped on a blue square, and a stone appeared beneath the translucent board.
“Drag this to a place on the design, then click the red button to set it.”
I watched in awe as the cobalt stone traveled under the board. A live drawing! If only Grandfather could see this. I imagined his glasses falling forward as he gaped at the board, trying to understand how it all worked. With this, we would be able to fashion more pieces than ever before.
My chest tightened, and I fought the tears that I knew would fall if I let them. If I focused on the jewelry, maybe the sadness would leave.
Geneva left me to work and I began cycling through the numerous designs until I found the perfect teardrop-shaped necklace. Colors sprayed across the drawing as I dragged blue and yellow beads to the design and clicked them into place. Back and forth I whizzed across the table, losing myself in the sparkling gems. Once every bead and stone was in place, I called out to Geneva.
“Excellent work, for a first time user.” She pressed a green circle at the top left of the board and the design disappeared, leaving the metal table blank again.
“Where’s the necklace?”
“You’ll see.” Geneva smiled—an expression I wasn’t used to seeing on her kind.
She leaned over to the back of the table. I tried to peek but her body blocked my view.
“Here you are.” She pulled out a silver disc with my necklace sitting on top.
“Oh, my …”
The beads glittered vibrantly, dazzling me with their beauty. The strands layered underneath one another in a perfect tear shape.
“You can give this to the queen. I’ll call for the guard.”
I gripped the silver disc, mesmerized by the necklace I created. When the guard retrieved me, I barely heard him call my name.
Geneva gave me a clear case for the necklace. I thanked her and rushed out the door, clinging onto the case.
“Aurora?”
I bumped into someone, and apologized as I backed away. The girl folded her arms across each other, glaring at me.
“Yes.”
“If it wasn’t for that hat, I wouldn’t have recognized you. I assumed you had a hideous facial deformity, but you are actually quite lovely. We met the oth
er night.”
During my work, I had lifted the veil of the hat I wore, not thinking anything of it while among the servants. I swallowed, gripping the case, my heart hammering. Krischa. I remembered her from the ball, especially the way she watched me.
“I’ll take her to the Queen,” Krischa stated.
“My orders were to escort her back.” The guard made no move to step aside.
“I’m sure you have better things to do. Come, Aurora.”
She pushed past the guard and pulled me into the transporter. Before the guard could follow, she closed the doors and hit the button to send us back to the Queen’s chambers.
Krischa tilted her head, eyes narrowed.
My skin crawled beneath her gaze.
“Strange the queen would have one of her guards escort a servant.”
“I don’t question the queen’s orders.”
Krischa smirked. “Smart. She can be stubborn.”
“Pretty necklace,” she added. “Is that why the queen is so enamored with you? She loves her accessories.”
“Enamored is a strong word.” I gulped back the fear rising in my throat, praying she would not ask me anything else.
“Yes, it is.” She drawled out the statement, eyeing me with a fierce golden gaze, making my palms sweat. Krischa’s fiery hair and perfect almond eyes accentuated the high cheekbones. Beautiful, yet her ever-watchfulness and endless questions grated on my nerves.
We stood outside the queen’s chambers in an awkward silence.
“I’m sure you know your way from here. Until next time.” Krischa sauntered down the hallway. I held in my breath until she turned the corner and disappeared from sight.
“What are you doing standing out here?” Queen Velaria stood inside the doorway, a frown pulling at her thin lips. “And where is the guard I sent to retrieve you?”
“Here, your majesty!” The guard ran forward. “Krischa brought her up.”
“Were those the orders I gave you?”