Emerald (The Silvia Saga Book 1)
Page 7
"We will need to gather some sticks and logs to get the fire started," Harlan says, stating the obvious.
I let out a groan, I swear he just likes hearing his own voice. He needs to feel like he is in charge of everything. I let it go for now, he will learn that I don't take well to orders.
"Yes, good idea Harlan. I will go and do that. I would have never thought of that," I say, mocking him.
Oliver lets out a laugh and says, "I'll come with you, someone has to keep you out of trouble, Miss Dara."
I roll my eyes at him and start walking over to the trees. Oliver follows, skipping to catch up to me. I smile, he seriously just makes me feel relaxed and happy. Something about the cheeky bugger keeps me smiling big.
"What's got you so happy, cheeky?" The man in question asks me, while he puts his arm around my shoulder. I try and wiggle his hand off, but he has a tight grip and he doesn't budge.
I blush, "Oh, nothing you need to worry about. Just thinking about how you guys ended up finding me in this big forest. How did you know where I was?" I am curious to find out how on earth they would find someone in this huge-arse forest.
"Um, I don't know how to explain this. We just get this urge that leads us in the right direction. We always know roughly where you are," Oliver tries to explain.
I stand there with my mouth open wide. Is he serious? I had a feeling they were physic or something, now this pretty much confirms my suspicion. I take a deep breath and let it sink in, one day I will have time to process all this craziness but right now I don't have the time to think too much about it.
"Yeah. Okay. I don't know what you want me to say in response to that, so, let’s get a move on so we can get this fire started before the sun goes down." Good divert.
I gather up the rubble, leaves, and smaller sticks to help get the fire ignited. Oliver focuses on getting the larger sticks and logs that have fallen from the trees. In no time, we have managed to get a good selection that will keep the fire going all night.
I am impressed by how well we worked together to get this big collection. Oliver comes over and takes my pile, carrying them as we head back to the camp area. I take my time walking back to try and clear my head. No matter how hard I try, it just isn’t helping.
I have walked right into my dream and I think there is no way of getting out of it.
Chapter 12
Dara
After giving the timber to the guys, they light the fire in no time. I literally blink my eyes and it’s aflame.
“Wow, you got that going quick. You don’t muck around do you?” I point out, as I sit down in front of the fire. Blair gets up from his spot and comes to sit next to me, sitting quite close, our knees touch. A little spark goes through my body, making me move my knee away in reaction. He puts his hand gently on my knee and looks me in the eye while he says;
“Let’s just say we have a bit of practice starting fires, it’s like second nature to us.”
That sounded weird as hell. What did he mean? I push his hand off, hating the loss of contact but not wanting to make a scene. “So, can you guys tell me more about this place Silvia? I would like to know more about it before we go there tomorrow. I am a bit nervous if I am honest,” I admit, not making eye contact with any of them. I feel a little embarrassed that I know nothing about it. Silvia is supposed to be my home, after all.
Declan clears his throat and starts, “Silvia is completely different to Earth. It is the most beautiful place you will ever see. It has a vibe that I can’t quite explain but you will know the feeling soon enough. We live in the forest, in a little village where our family and closest friends live. We don’t have houses like you do here. Our houses are within the trees. Inside the trees is where we live. You might be thinking that is impossible, but it’s true and they are quite roomie. You are going to love it, Dara.”
I see the gleam in Declan’s eyes as he describes Silvia. That alone has me all giddy inside, I am now instantly excited for tomorrow to see this mystical Silvia. “Hurry up tomorrow, then. My only worry is finding these stones. I mean, we don’t really have any leads, how will I know where to look?” I question.
“Once you get to Silvia and start to reconnect with the land you will feel the energy of the stones, trust me. You will be able to find them. The stones will lead you to where they are. That’s why you are so important. Only you have the connection to the stones. That is one thing your father made sure of,” Harlan explains, which helps calm my nerves just a little bit. I won’t truly believe him until I feel it myself.
“By the looks of you, we will need to do some training once we get to Silvia,” Declan says, acting all serious again.
“You could just say I look fat instead of dancing around it. Thanks, mate, I get your point. Fine, I guess I will let you train me,” I say back defensively, pouting my lips. They all start laughing. Oliver tries so hard to stop laughing and says;
“Sweetie, you’re not fat at all,” Oliver says. “He means you lack in physical strength. Declan won’t be the only one training you. In case you didn’t realise, we all work together as a team. Each one of us has a speciality. Harlan has combat; Declan works best with knives; Blair uses a bow and arrow; and me, well, I play with martial arts. Together we have the whole package, making it hard to be defeated. There are also some other skills that we have, that each of us will explain to you in time. We don’t want to overwhelm you. As for you, Princess, you will need to learn it all to be the perfect package to defeat James. It’s one thing knowing where the stones are, but you will need the skills to be able to defend yourself against the threats. There will be a lot standing in your way to the stones, it’s not going to be an easy journey. We are going to be there to help you, but you need to be able to defend yourself too. In case something happens to us,” Oliver explains, getting all serious on me.
Oh boy, what have I gotten myself into? This is going to be a living hell. Maybe I should just stay here and forget about this Silvia? But something tells me I won’t be allowed to do that.
“Alright, well that’s enough bedtime stories for one night. I am off to bed because by the sounds of it, we are in for a big day tomorrow,” I say, as I get up and walk over to the closest tree and pull out my sleeping bag. As I lay down I notice the guys whispering amongst themselves.
I catch Blair saying, “She really is her father’s daughter. I see him in her bright blue eyes. Let’s hope she has what it takes, and her father was right to do what he did.”
I sigh at the thought of the responsibilities I now have on my shoulders. I mean, I was just a normal girl living a normal life twelve hours ago. Now, I am a princess, destined to be queen of a whole new world, Silvia.
I lay there, looking up at the stars and wondering how they came up with the name Silvia. It sounds like an old granny name to me. Life literally just went from 0 to 100 in a matter of hours. I needed some sleep and who knows, maybe I will wake up and this will all just be a dream. I have got to stop thinking that this is a dream. I won’t wake up and it won’t all go away. I need to embrace this and give it everything I have got.
Make my mum and dad proud. I was still pissed at my father for sending me away. But I do believe he did what was best for me and Silvia. I take in a deep breath of the fresh forest air and shut my eyes.
I wake with a jolt. Wow, what a fucked-up dream. Oh wait…as I look around and take in the same scenes from my dream. Ah shit, it was real…fuck! Wishful thinking had me hoping I had dreamt the past twelve hours. But nope, by the looks of it, it had all actually happened and today I head to my new world, Silvia.
If I was to be honest, I was a little excited to be finally seeing this Silvia place today. I have a feeling that it won’t be as bad as I am imagining. Just by the way the guys have described it, it does sound amazing if I must admit. My stubborn self is having a hard time accepting that as I go back and forth in my head with pros and cons.
I finally decide to open my ey
es again and take in the scene surrounding me. All of the guys are up and moving around as if they never went to sleep. The fire is still burning strong, Harlan puts some new sticks on the fire. Oliver is cooking something over the coals from the fire, which smells beautiful. Mental note; stick by him. I love a man who can cook as I suck at that chore.
By the looks of Oliver, he knows just what to do, by using what we have here in the forest. He has found some herbs to add flavour to the stew he has brewing. It smells bloody amazing and has me jumping out of my sleeping bag. I am in a haze as I follow the smells right to Oliver and sit beside him.
“Oh, good morning beautiful, did you sleep well? Looks like my cooking has woken you?” he questions with a cocky smile on his face.
Ooh, Mr. Confidence over here thinks he has me all figured out. Of course, I won’t admit that he’s correct and add to his ego.
I roll my eyes at him and say, “Mr Over Confident here, are we? Nah, you were all making so much noise I just woke up. Had nothing at all to do with the smell of your cooking,” I say trying my best to hide my lie.
He lets out a little chuckle. “Yeah, yeah. Keep telling yourself that, Princess. We both know my cooking has you over here begging for it. Besides, you suck at lying. I can see it written all over your face,” he smirks.
Oh mate, that’s not all I will be begging for if you continue like this, I think to myself as I bite down on my lower lip. I look up to catch him staring at my lip, I quickly let it go and try to look anywhere else but at him.
“Keep biting that lip of yours and you will be in trouble, you little vixen. Trust me, I don’t play nice.” My face turns red and I look away trying to cool off.
Thank goodness, Harlan chooses that moment to come over and join us. “Morning, Princess. I hope Oliver is behaving himself here,” he says, giving him a little nudge.
“Yep. He sure is; just cooking us breakfast,” I mutter under my breath, trying to hide my embarrassment.
I catch Oliver out of the corner of my eye, smirking at me Oh, he is going to be trouble. Oliver serves up our breakfast on large leaves and gives me my portion. I shove a good amount into my mouth which has me moaning instantly. The guys clear their throats in unison and I look up to see them looking at me. Whoops, I must have let that moan out loud, my bad.
Harlan finishes his first. He gets up and says, “Alright guys, eat up. We head out in five. It’s home time.”
I let out a little sigh, again worrying myself about getting to Silvia.
I hope it’s a safe ride, or however it is that we are getting there. It then dawned on me that I had no idea how this portal thing worked.
Shit, I was in for trouble.
Chapter 13
Dara
After breakfast Harlan takes charge and informs us that we should start our journey to Silvia. We head out toward the portal, which according to Harlan, it’s about a five kilometre walk from here.
Harlan takes up the front, liking being in the lead. Typical for him. Little does he know that I too, like being in charge. So, me being me, I try and overtake him. I get in front for a second then he overtakes me again. I let out a little chuckle and we end up racing each other for the five kilometres. I know we have made it to the spot when Harlan suddenly stops, and I run right into his back. He grabs my shoulders to keep me in place, otherwise I would have fallen straight on my arse.
Finally, a good five minutes later the other guys catch up. Oliver has a wicked grin on his face. Looking to be quite pleased with me almost beating Harlan.
“It’s good to have you around, Dara. Someone needs to put Harlan in his place and I think he has met his match. Keep it up sweetie,” Oliver says, coming up to me, putting his arm around my shoulder. I don’t want him to remove it, but all too soon he lifts his arm and walks over to Harlan.
“This the spot, man? It looks right,” he questions Harlan.
Harlan nods in response as he walks over to two trees that are identical. Looking up further I notice the trees are connected at the top. It leaves a gap that is wide and tall enough for a person to fit through. After Harlan inspects the trees he walks over to stand right in front of me. “Okay Dara, you need to listen and follow these instructions very closely. I know it will be hard for you, but it is very important. It could be catastrophic if you don’t do it properly.”
I nod in agreement, hating that I have to follow orders but knowing it’s for my own good.
“Okay good. Once you walk in between these trees you will fall down a hole,” he continues. “It will seem like ages but finally you will appear in Silvia. You need to cross your arms and hold onto your shoulders, like this. You must keep them like that until you get into Silvia. You must not say a word the entire time, if you do it could interfere with the transportation. You will have to say the location ‘Silvia’ to the portal very clearly. Oliver will be going first so he will be waiting for you once you get there. Now once you get there, go straight to Oliver. Silvia isn’t the safest place right now. The King’s slayers will be hunting for you, so you must be very aware once you pass through. Blair and I will go after you, do you understand all of that?” Harlan asks.
I stand there with my mouth hanging open for a good few minutes trying to take it all in. Finally, I snap out of it, “Yep, all clear, boss,” I say giving Harlan some cheek.
He just shakes his head and walks closer to the portal.
“Okay, Oliver, time for you to go. Make sure you check the area before Dara gets there and be ready for her.” Harlan orders. Oliver nods in agreement and walks over to the portal.
“See you on the other side, Princess.” Oliver says blowing me a kiss, the cheeky lad.
He stands next to the portal and says, “Silvia.” He crosses his arms over his chest and jumps into the hole. A lightning spark of blue cracks up the trees, giving us a light show.
“Wow, that is the most amazing thing I have ever seen,” I say, as the lights die down and the hole closes.
“If you think that is amazing just wait until you see Silvia,” Declan says, as he gently pushes me to the portal.
“Your turn, Princess. Don’t be nervous just follow what Oliver did and you will be fine,” Blair says giving me some confidence.
Okay, deep breath, Dara. You can do this, I think to myself. I step up to the portal in between the trees and turn back to give the guys a little wave. Hopefully this won’t be the last time I see them. It is now or never. I cross my arms over and say very clearly, “Silvia,” then I step into the dark hole.
I continue to hold on to my arms and try not to move a muscle as I continue to fall down the dark hole. It is nothing but pitch blackness as I keep falling for what feels like hours. There is a wind which brings goose bumps to my whole body.
Finally, I see some light appear in the most vibrant blue and green colours I have ever seen. Suddenly, I gain speed and come flying from the hole, landing on my butt. I touch the grass around me. This is the place from my dream. It is real.
I didn’t believe it existed until now; I actually see it with my own eyes. Holy shit balls, this place is pure beauty, nothing beats being here and seeing it. The colours are beyond the most vibrant I have ever seen. I touch the grass and let out a little moan. Why the fuck I am moaning about grass? But, if it isn’t the most luscious grass I have ever felt, I don’t know what is.
I lift my gaze and look around taking in my surroundings. Those trees, the tallest and biggest I had ever seen. The pink, purple and blue flowers in the leaves that shine bright among them. The trees are all tightly together, but there is worn paths between them. Most of all I am excited to see inside the tree houses that look so cute nestled within the tree. I wonder where the guys’ house is.
After gawking at my surroundings for a good five minutes. I finally stand up and get knocked back down by a really strong force which wipes me out cold. Everything goes completely black. I am startled awake after who knows how long and try to sit up
. What in the hell, my whole body feels completely different. As if I’m in a whole new body. Everything feels lighter. I actually feel invincible, which sounds completely insane.
I stand up trying to work out what happened, but I don’t get a chance as I feel something whiz past my head. Oh, hell no, this isn’t going to be exactly like the dream is it? I dare not turn around, but my curiosity gets the better of me.
I turn around to see the weird looking arrow wedged into the tree. What I feared has come true as I turn to run but my leg gets caught on a vine in the ground. I fall and lift my head to see one of the twins running toward me. My saviour. I quickly release my foot and go to stand up but of course he lifts me up throwing me over his shoulder. I am staring down at his fine arse again. Oh, how I have missed that view, I let out a little chuckle at myself.
“Hold tight, Princess, we are nearly out of sight,” he yells over his shoulder.
I know how this is going to end; I bet we will slip inside that groove right there in the tree, I think to myself. Of course, that is what we do. I have dreamt about this for months, but the dream always ended there.
So, who knows what will happen next?
Chapter 14
Dara
We stay wedged into the tree for several minutes. As I inhale I know it’s Blair from the smell of bark and freshly cut grass.
My back is hard up against the tree and my front is hard against Blair’s front. I didn’t think this would feel so bloody good. Who am I kidding? He is one hot warrior, my hot warrior, of course it would feel this good. I accidently let out a little moan as I feel his dick harden against my belly. I try and cough to cover it up but the way he’s looking at me, tells me he heard it. I try to study his face to see how he feels about my little outburst, but I don’t get a chance as he quickly pulls me out of the tree.