She smiled a sleepy smile. "I hope so."
His smile faded momentarily. "You can always change your mind, you know. If you don't want to go. You can stay here."
Edith hesitated, biting her lip. For the millionth time, she considered doing just that. But one look at him strengthened her resolve. She reached out and pinched his arm, causing him to squawk. "You're not getting rid of me that easy."
He laughed and brushed her cheek before pulling away. "Sleep well. I will see you first thing in the morning for breakfast, then we will continue your training. Maybe if you're a good girl, we'll start using the dagger."
With a smile, Edith slipped into the dark room and heard the lock click solidly behind her. She resisted the urge to test the door, forcing herself to trust Charles completely. She fumbled to the bathroom where she changed, then felt her way to bed. Climbing under the covers, she snuggled in, wishing Charles was there beside her. She had almost drifted off, thinking happy thoughts, when a soft voice broke the still of the night.
"You like him, don't you?" Dana sounded sad, her voice hoarse as if she'd been crying all day.
For a moment, Edith was quiet. "Yeah, I think I do."
Dana snorted. "I felt like that once. I thought Alex and I were going to be together forever. Look how well that turned out. Watch your back. All Alaeshans are the same. They lead you on, but all they really want to do is further their war. He'll use you and drop you once he doesn't need you anymore."
Edith couldn't think of anything to say so she didn't respond. Soon, she fell asleep, dreaming blissful dreams of frolicking in the forest with Charles and Ollie.
Chapter 11
A bright light pierced through Edith's dreams of unicorns and peppermint, making her groan as she pulled a pillow over her head. The pillow was torn from her grip and tossed aside, only to be replaced by the floating image of a woman with blond curls.
"Rise and shine, sleepyhead. Lots of work to do today. No time to waste." Mags's normally cheerful grin didn't reflect in her eyes this time.
When Edith didn't rise fast enough, the pillow was followed by the blankets. Holding up her hands in defeat, Edith sat up. "All right, all right. I'm up."
Dana lay in bed, glaring at the pair but saying nothing. Edith rose and dressed quickly before following Mags out the door. The older woman led her to the dining hall, but Charles was nowhere to be seen. She opened a door on the side and beckoned Edith through. The girl had thought she had seen the most beautiful parts of the mansion, but the sight took her breath away.
She stepped through the door onto a stone path that wound its way through a luscious, thriving garden. Trees, bushes, and flowers of all shapes and sorts were scattered throughout the area, almost haphazardly, some growing so tall they brushed against the protective glass far overhead. She could hear the bubbling of a waterfall nearby and birds sang happily as they darted from plant to plant. Vibrant colors stood out from the shining green foliage and she could see insects crawling across the leaves closest to her.
"This way." Mags was smiling at her and Edith closed her mouth quickly, realizing she had been gawking like a child.
She followed the woman through dense undergrowth that seemed to be just barely contained by the bricks lining the walkway. After several twists and turns, they emerged into a clearing lined with more stone. Along the edge was the waterfall she had heard. It was larger than she expected, several stories high, and this close it was more of a gentle roar than a bubble. A light mist floated up and over the clearing, as if the area was protected by an invisible field.
Charles sat at a wrought iron table in the center of the clearing. The surface was filled with fruit, bacon, eggs, bagels, and other sorts of breakfast foods. As Edith approached, he looked up from the newspaper he was reading and smiled.
"How did you sleep?" he asked as he poured her a cup of coffee, somehow knowing exactly how she liked it.
"Meh," she said, wrapping her hands around the cup and reveling in its warm. She took a sip and closed her eyes as the sweet heat flowed down across her tongue and into her belly.
When she opened her eyes, Charles was watching her with an amused expression. "Nothing like the first taste of coffee in the morning, eh?"
She grinned at him. "It's the lifeblood of the gods."
He laughed. "No, darling, I do believe that's ambrosia."
Edith scoffed. "Coffee, ambrosia, same thing. It's heaven in a cup." She took another sip as she watched a large brilliantly blue bird take flight from a nearby cluster of purple bushes. Its warbling call echoed off the ceiling until it landed high in the trees on a thick branch.
"What do you think?" Charles voice startled her momentarily.
"Of the garden?"
He nodded, leaning forward as if he were keen to get her opinion.
"It's absolutely beautiful. I've never seen anything like it. I could stay here all day."
A grin grew across his face and she was afraid his cheeks might split. "Good. I thought you'd appreciate it. So," he said, changing the subject. "Eat up. We need to work hard today if you're going to come with me. I'm not about to lose you because I failed to prepare you properly."
The intense concern in his eyes made Edith's heart melt even more. She smiled at him, her fingers tingling, itching to reach across the table for him. His hands remained firmly holding the newspaper though, and she pushed back the impulse.
"Can I try a bow today?"
The heavy look he wore broke. "One track mind, just like all women," he said teasingly. "Yeah, we can probably try a bow today. You were doing okay with the dagger yesterday. Where is it?"
He eyed her, challenging her to fail his test. Standing she pulled back the long wrap Mags had given her before they left her room. Underneath, the dagger was nestled tightly in its sheath, strapped to her left hip. She lifted her chin to hide the discomfort she felt about having such a sharp blade so close to her body.
Charles grinned. "That's my girl. It suits you."
His appreciative look had Edith blushing, and she settled the wrap back in place as she sat back down. A comfortable silence fell over them while she ate and he read. She was almost finished eating when the leaves rustled violently behind her.
Charles looked up from his paper. "Ah, there's my boy," he exclaimed proudly as Ollie pushed through the bushes and came trotting up to the table. Charles scratched behind the beast's massive ear. "Find anything good in the forest this morning?"
The dog's tongue lolled happily and he wagged his tail, thumping it against the table leg hard enough to spill Charles's freshly poured cup of coffee.
"I don't know why you let him in here," Mags chided as she cleared away some of the remaining food. Even as she scolded the dog for making a mess, she threw some bacon and eggs on a plate and set it on the floor. Ollie nudged her leg gently with his nose before licking the plate clean in seconds.
"Who needs a garbage disposal when you have an Ollie." She patted the dog on his giant head before disappearing into the jungle with the loaded tray.
Charles gave Edith a wink. "She loves the big lout as much as I do, don't let her fool you."
"He is a sweetheart." Edith smiled at the dog and the creature plopped his big head on her lap, looking up at her with baleful eyes. She scratched him behind the ears, on the nose, and between the eyes. When she reached his chin, Ollie closed his eyes and a strange rumbling came out of his throat. Edith frowned. "Did he just purr?"
Charles nodded. "Yes, he did, m'lady. He is an odd one, no doubt about it. Someday, maybe I'll actually figure out what he is." Charles folded his paper and placed it on the table. "Are you ready?" he asked, leaning forward.
Edith looked up, meeting his eyes. Her heart fluttered with both excitement and fear. She nodded. "Yeah, let's go."
Charles stood and rounded the table, holding a hand out to her. Smiling, she took it, her fingers slipping easily between his. He stroked her cheek once with his thumb before leading the way through the maz
e of vines and out a door that was different from the one they came in.
***
The majority of the next week was spent in the training room. Charles focused mainly on the dagger, but he also made sure she was familiar with a few other weapons. Edith's fear kept her from really embracing the weapons until Charles gripped her by the shoulders and looked her square in the eye.
“Listen, Edith, if you lose your dagger for any reason, I want you to feel at least a little comfortable with any weapon you can get your hands on.” He grabbed a slender sword that reminded Edith of the epees used in fencing. In his other hand, he held a long flat piece of wood that was as tall as she was. “Which first?”
After awhile, she felt comfortable enough with the small blade strapped to her side that some of the fear sitting in her gut was dissipating. She was still miserably inept with the other weapons, but she was confident that she could defend herself until help could arrive.
When Charles called an end to training that day, the walked slowly down the hall. He paused at the bottom of the stairs. Leaning against the banister, he took Edith's hands in his. "I need to go take care of a few things. I'll be gone about a week, but then maybe we'll give you a crack at the Gathle bow. How does that sound?"
Edith grinned. "I think that sounds like an excellent plan."
He cupped her cheek with his hand, his rough palm sending sparks across her skin. He pulled her close and pressed his lips gently against hers briefly. "Why don't you spend the time with Dana," he said, pulling away. "Keep her company for a bit. I'll send Mags for you when I get back."
Edith nodded and turned to go up the stairs. She could feel Charles's eyes on her as she ascended and did her best to be graceful and agile, until her foot caught on a step and she stumbled forward. She caught herself, but heat immediately rose to her cheeks. She glanced back. Sure enough, Charles was still there, his face torn between worry and amusement.
"All right up there?" he called up.
She nodded and held up a hand, a grin spreading across her face. "Fine, fine. Just practicing, you know."
He laughed. "Don't hurt yourself before we meet the bad guys, eh?" He tossed her a wink and headed down the hallway. She watched him until he was out of sight, then turned and ran up the rest of the stairs as quick as she could.
She reached the door to her bedroom and turned the handle. It wouldn't budge. She tried again before remembering it was locked. Frowning, Edith looked down the hall, unsure of what to do. No one was around and she had no clue where Mags was, so she slid down the wall, pulling her knees in tight. She could feel the dagger pressing against her hip and played her fingers over the sheath. As she was about to pull the blade from its protective covering, she heard Mags tsking at her.
"None of that, dear. Leave it in its sheath unless Charles is around. I won't have you slicing a hand off under my watch."
Edith rose and nodded. "Sorry."
"No need for apologies. Here, hold this a moment, will you?" The woman thrust a large tray of food at Edith and the girl took it. Mags fumbled through a large key ring on her belt. "Ah, here it is." Edith tried to watch which one Mags inserted into the lock, but all the keys looked the same to her. Mags pushed open the door. "In you go, then." Edith entered her room, still carrying the tray. Dana sat on the bench at the window, staring outside. As she glanced their way, her eyes narrowed to slits and she turned her back on them. Edith placed the tray on the table and sat down.
"Lunch is here," she said, feeling stupid for stating the obvious but not knowing what else to say. Dana's head shook almost imperceptibly, but she said nothing.
Mags was standing at the door and gave Edith a small smile before she retreated and locked the room behind her. The girl felt bad about eating without her friend, but she was starving and Dana showed no interest in the food, so she grabbed a drumstick from the roasted chicken on the tray and a spoonful of vegetables. There were also two slices of blueberry pie and she helped herself to one of them. After a brief moment of hesitation, she dug into the pie first. It was wonderfully sweet and tart at the same time, the smooth, gooey mixture sliding over her tongue.
"You really should try this," she said around her second mouthful. "It's delicious."
Dana glared at her, but stood up and walked to the table. She pulled the chair out, making as much noise as she possibly could. Very briefly, Edith felt the urge to apologize. For what, she didn't know. Then she decided that apologizing would do no good. Dana was upset at Alex, at Charles, at herself. Nothing Edith said or did would make a difference. Dana just needed time. So instead of beating herself up over something she couldn't change, Edith took another bite of the pie and savored it.
Dana followed suit, still glaring at Edith. When the first spoonful met her lips, though, Edith saw the girl's face soften, just a bit. By the time she had finished the pie, Dana was unable to hold onto her angry countenance. Her hunger piqued, Dana grabbed the other chicken leg and began plucking the meat off the bone. They ate slowly, in silence, as Edith was loathe to ruin what little progress had been made. Between the two of them, they picked the small chicken clean and emptied the jug of milk.
When they were both stuffed, they sat back, staring at the table. The silence grew uncomfortable, stifling. "I'm sorry things haven't worked out so great for you," Edith said before she could stop herself. She quickly clamped her lips together, but Dana was already rising, her face locked once more in a bitter frown.
But it didn't last long. She walked to the window seat and collapsed on the bench. Her eyes burst into tears. Edith followed her tentatively and sat down. She put a hand on Dana's shoulder, half expecting the girl to lash out. Instead, Dana threw herself at Edith, burying her face in her shoulder as sobs wracked her body. Edith put her arms around her friend and patted her on the head until Dana's body stopped shaking violently. When the sniffles died down, Dana pulled away.
"Everything has fallen apart. I used to know exactly what I was, who I was. I had a hot boyfriend, the hottest guy in school. I was head cheerleader, Keeper of the Third Key. My family was rich. Now that I'm not the Keeper anymore and Alex is gone, I have nothing." She nearly broke down again but reined in her tears before they grew out of control.
Edith hugged her. "You're not nothing. You're still head of the cheerleading squad, you still have your family and friends. And Alex was clearly a douche-bag. He's not someone you want to be with anyway, even if he wasn't the epitome of evil."
Edith's attempt at humor sent Dana back to sobbing and nearly ten minutes passed before she was able to calm down again. "Everything is going to be different, though," she said as she wiped her dripping nose with the back of her hand. "My parents don't work. Since I was a little girl, all the money we have has come from my position as Keeper. My dad invested it and that's how he got really rich. Without my benefits, we won't have any income. "
"If your dad was smart enough to take that money and make it work, he'll be able to find something else. Maybe he could be a broker or something. And I'm sure Charles won't just abandon you or your family. They won't leave you without anything."
Dana bobbed her head. "Yes, they will. If a Keeper loses their key, they lose all benefits it afforded. If I had held onto it until I was eighteen, then we would have gotten a stipend every year, enough to keep us on our feet. But losing the key voids the contract. And my parents hate me for losing the key. It means I'm nothing. I have nothing."
She started to cry again, but her tear ducts were dry. Edith patted her hand. "Things have a way of working out. I'm not sure how, but they always do. I promise you, it will be all right. And you'll have me. I won't leave you just because you made a mistake. Everyone makes mistakes."
Edith bit her lip, not knowing what else she could possibly say to make Dana feel better. Until that point, Edith hadn't thought about what being the Keeper meant beyond the impending battle. She knew she was in danger, but she refused to let herself think about it. And now with the discussion of money,
Edith began to wonder and hope. If she could get through the next few weeks, if she could survive, there might be a chance to break away from the life she so loathed. She glanced at Dana, feeling guilty that the girl's downfall may be Edith's chance at freedom.
There was nothing else to do so they sat there on the window bench, hand in hand, both contemplating their individual fates as they stared out the glass until the lock clicked. Mags stepped through. She gave the girls a little smile and set to clearing the table. She took the tray out into the hall and locked the door behind her, but returned a few minutes later. In her hand was a small canvas bag. She held it out to Dana.
"A few books and a couple movies," she said. "To keep you busy."
Edith glanced around the room. They hadn't seen any electronic equipment at all. How were they supposed to watch movies? Seeing their confusion, Mags opened the drawer on the nightstand and pulled out a remote control. She pressed a big blue button and half the wall withdrew, showing a complete entertainment unit.
"You didn't think we were that stuck in the middle ages, did you?" she said, winking at the girls' sagging chins.
***
“Dana, can I ask you a question?”
The girls were lounging on their beds, watching one of the movies Mags had lent them. The cheerleader nodded, her mouth full of popcorn.
Edith was silent a moment, weighing whether the potential backlash from her question was worth knowing the answer. “Why were you so nasty to me when we met? I still don't get it.”
Dana finished chewing her popcorn slowly, her eyes locked on the television screen. She laid the bowl on the bed and pushed herself to a seated position. “Well,” she said thoughtfully. “I guess, I don't know. I have a hard time with new people. I know, it doesn't make any sense. I'm the most popular girl in school. Everyone invites me to their parties and stuff. But honestly, I hate it. I've always been pretty and my parents encouraged me to be outgoing, but I don't really like to be. So, sometimes I get mean, especially when I'm afraid someone is going to mess with the little bubble I've built. You were talking to Alex and I needed him. He was part of what defined me. The pretty head cheerleader has to date the hottest guy in school. That's the way the world works.”
The Third Key (The Alaesha Legacy Book 1) Page 9