by M. L. Greye
He released his breath in a rush and glanced over his shoulder. Lillie and his things were just a few feet away. Lillie’s face held the same element of surprise as everyone else in the room, but there was something else too. Was it a look of dread?
“I’m not trying to impress anyone, Hillary.” He frowned. “I stood up for Nora because no one else would. You should be ashamed of yourself.”
With that, he turned, grabbed his books, and made his way out of the cafeteria, well aware of all the eyes on his back.
: : : : :
“I give up.” Olinia groaned and dropped her head onto the kitchen table, her laptop still open in front of her.
Will was on his way to her from his room upstairs. He walked into the kitchen just as she declared her resignation. Sazx, who was in front of the television watching the local news, glanced over the top of the couch. Olinia had been at the table for the past three hours, searching for any information on DS Academy. This frustrated Will. He needed time to be alone with her again, and she wasn’t giving him any. She was still avoiding him.
“Why do you give up?” Will asked.
“I feel like it’s useless,” she retorted. “All I’ve really found out is that DS stands for Defining Specialties. Oh, and if I would like to apply for their academic placement test, I can now do so online.”
Will sat down next to her and slid the laptop to face him. “Their website looks nice,” he noted.
“I know.” Olinia straightened. “All the reviews I found for the school were positive ones, except for the parents of those who couldn’t pass the entrance exam. It’s weird how no one who actually attended has anything bad to say about the place.”
“Did any of the reviews mention what DS students do while there?” Will’s eyes were still scanning the screen.
She nodded. “They study math, science, and literature at a more advanced level than what they receive in their regular classes.”
Will chuckled. “Remind me why you are so determined to find a fault in this school.”
Her cheeks flushed. “I wanted to be sure that DS didn’t send Porter to break in.”
“By the look of things, Porter seems to be the problem, not DS.” Will shut the laptop, letting it go to sleep. “I say if he tries to get in again we call the cops.”
“Alright, but should I confront him about it in class?” Olinia bit at the inside of her lip. She looked as if she wanted to say something else, but then thought better of it.
“You mean the class you’re missing right now?” Will frowned. He didn’t like that she no longer spoke her thoughts to him.
Sazx shut off the TV with the remote and stood, beginning towards the kitchen. “If you were to confront him, how would you explain that you know it was him? You didn’t see him with your own eyes.”
“True.” She pulled a face.
“Just let it be for now,” Will said as Sazx lowered into the chair across from Olinia. “He didn’t take anything.”
“Agreed,” Sazx intoned.
Will looked over his shoulder out the kitchen window. Being this close to Olinia and unable to talk to her openly was making him anxious. He needed to devise a way to get her alone with him. Maybe some fresh air would help clear his thoughts, or at least calm his nerves.
“I haven’t seen all of the property yet. I think I’ll take a quick walk around.” Will got to his feet and pushed his chair back under the table. “I’ll be back.”
Sazx and Olinia watched him exit through the back door and then disappear into the surrounding trees. As Olinia continued to stare outside, Sazx’s eyes drifted to her face. There was no Saerd or Eve alive who could hold a candle to her. The man she would wed would never deserve her beauty, nor her untamable spirit.
For a moment more, Sazx admired Olinia’s large, Wend eyes, high, thin brow, and soft, rounded lips. His gaze lingered on her mouth. He longed to kiss her again – to hold her tightly against him. But he knew better. The princess’s heart would never belong to him. Will Patten was far more fortunate than he could ever imagine.
“I can hear your thoughts, Sazx,” Olinia breathed without turning. “You get louder when your emotions are strong.”
Sazx smiled sadly. “I know.”
“Why do you feel unworthy of me?” She faced him, her dark eyes penetrating deep into his. “I think you underestimate yourself.”
“It doesn’t matter what I think of myself though, does it, princess?” He glanced down at her neck. “You wear the Silver Heart of another man.”
Olinia’s hand floated to her necklace. “Sazx-”
“No need to explain yourself,” Sazx said, cutting her off. He pushed himself out of his chair and looked out the window. “I do think you should tell him, though, before you make him go mad.”
“Tell him what?” Olinia’s gaze followed after Sazx’s.
“That you still love him,” he replied, bowing at the waist and leaving to go upstairs.
: : : : :
Illein Dairn was dead. It was the one fact that Dagon Reien, emperor of the Vrenyx, could not doubt because if she were still alive, then she had left him for dead. Dagon hoped she was more intelligent than that. She should have known that if she deserted him in his time of ultimate need, he would later kill her himself. A future empress was required to care for her emperor, even when he became disfigured as Dagon now was.
Swirls of white blurred around Dagon as his thoughts dwelt bitterly on his fiancée. Bright light blinded him. He tried to lift his arm to shade his eyes, but the limb wouldn’t respond. The cloud was thick and as unyielding as the light. Dagon forced back the brief spurt of dread, reminding himself that this was better than the agony he had endured the past few days.
When his Nagreth Captain and the Key’s heir had abandoned him in his castle, Dagon became the victim of the crumbling stone walls. While he lay unconscious, his left arm was crushed beneath a fallen pillar. He was fortunate the pillar had only affected one arm. If it had been just a few inches further, it would have landed on his skull.
A Nagreth soldier had found him there – pinned on the floor in the rubble. Seeing that Dagon was still alive but unable to move the pillar to free him, the Nagreth used his own sword to slice off Dagon’s flattened arm before dragging him out to safety. It was a logical move by the Nagreth. Dagon would have asked for no less in order to spare his life.
However, when Dagon awoke to the unceasing torture of the loss of his arm and his previous smaller wounds across his chest and thigh, he struggled to maintain his sanity. During the following forty-eight hours, Dagon slipped in and out of consciousness while the Nagreth who had saved him nursed the place where his arm had once been. The Nagreth waited for help to arrive, as he knew that once the attack on Relivaynt was finished, the Velvitors and his fellow Nagreth would return.
The Velvitors were the first to arrive. When their king, Talik, discovered that Dagon was injured and only under the guard of one man, Talik ordered his men to kill Dagon’s protection. He then captured the Vrenyx emperor.
That was the last thing Dagon remembered before passing out again. Now, the cloud surrounding him was beginning to thin, and with it a dull reminder of the pain he’d felt.
“I think he’s waking up.” A female voice above him sounded alarmed.
“Do something about it,” a man barked.
A moment later the cloud began to thicken once more, and Dagon returned to darkness.
: : : : :
An owl passed by Will’s window, hooting loudly. He knew it was well after midnight, but he couldn’t sleep. His eyes continued to roll over the ceiling while he lay on his back in the dark. As much as he hated to admit it, the princess was keeping him up. His walk earlier hadn’t helped him at all in soothing his nerves.
Olinia was practically driving him insane. He despised the fact that it had been so long for her away from him. She honestly believed that she had changed, but Will didn’t see it. Deep down, Olinia was still the same woman he f
ell for in the Other Worlds.
He couldn’t seem to put Trenton Alridge’s last words from before Will left London out of his head either. Trenton had warned Will that Olinia might appear to be Ethon now, but she would always be an Other Worlder heiress. That was where she must return. She had duties to fulfill even though she might have forgotten them. Trenton doubted Olinia still had a desire to become the queen she was born to be. He’d admonished Will to be sure to get Olinia home to her realm, even if it meant losing her forever.
That was the part Will couldn’t bear. He couldn’t let go of her even if he wanted to. She wore his Silver Heart, and he had kissed her. Will was bound to the princess, and he was fully aware of this fact. From the moment his lips had met hers, a newfound inner pull toward her erupted throughout his insides. Even if he hadn’t remembered Olinia’s words about Treveri and Caiden being united, he would have noticed the difference inside himself immediately. It was as if she’d somehow ignited a magnetic charge within him.
Just like with magnets, the tug inside of him grew stronger when she drew closer and faded as she stepped away from him. She would never be able to sneak up on him again. When she was within inches of him, his blood would surge, creating static in his fingertips. It only got worse when they would touch. His entire body would hum, spreading warmth through his veins. It was unlike anything Will had ever experienced before. Part of him wondered if he were going crazy.
Will sat up, rubbing his eyes with his hands. A part of him would have liked to believe that he would be so much better off if he’d never kissed her, but deep down he knew that was a lie. Before Olinia, his life had been empty and painful. She had slowly transformed from his beacon of hope to the purpose of his existence. The thought alone of no longer having her near him made his chest ache with an agony that he’d never felt before – not even when his family died. He needed her for his survival. He loved her more deeply than he’d ever dreamed possible. If she were to leave Ethon for good, then so would he.
Releasing a sigh, Will leaned back onto his hands. He wasn’t tired enough to allow his swirling thoughts to fade into sleep. Will swung his legs over the side of his bed and slid onto his bare feet. The room’s one window was only a few feet away. After living in castles and mansions, the simple Ethon room felt small and cramped. How had he managed to live in rooms this size for practically his whole life? Will stepped to the window and pulled open the blinds.
The storms from the past couple days had cleared somewhat, leaving a few openings in the clouds, revealing sporadic clusters of stars. Will rested one hand against the wall as he gazed outside. He’d hoped that he could have talked with Olinia that night, but she’d been the first to go to bed, dashing his plans.
Small sparks of light between the trees suddenly caught his attention, startling him momentarily. He blinked and then realized what they were – fireflies. He smiled to himself as the little bugs spun through the air below him. Growing up in Southern California, he never saw a firefly in person until he went away to college. They really were fascinating creatures.
Just then, an idea came to him. It required waking up the princess, but this wouldn’t be the first time he’d done that before. Will turned away from the window to where he’d left the jeans he’d worn earlier, slung over the side of his dresser. He quickly pulled them on and reached for one of the few T-shirts he’d hurriedly packed before his flight out of London from the top drawer of his room’s dresser. Next, he slipped on his shoes and grabbed a dark red sweatshirt on his way out of his room.
Keeping his footsteps quiet, he moved down the hallway to Olinia’s room. He found her asleep beneath her covers, breathing deeply. Thankful his eyes were already used to the dark, Will made his way to the side of her bed and touched her shoulder with his hand, shaking her gently. As he’d expected, the gentle tingling purred through his fingertips touching her soft skin. Will wasn’t able to reflect upon it for long though.
Olinia bolted up, and he was thrust backwards into the wall by an unseen force, landing with a muted thud. He grunted as his head slammed against the wall. Olinia gaped, one hand stretched out toward him. “Will?”
“Who’d you think I was?” Will rubbed the now tender spot on the back of his head.
“I thought Porter was back again,” she whispered. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’ll be fine.” He winced and pushed himself up to his feet. “What was that? Have you gotten stronger since you left the Other Worlds?”
“I have,” she admitted. “I can now move objects up to twice my own weight.”
“Congratulations.” Will sat down next to her on the bed, the back of his head still throbbing.
“What’re you doing in here anyway?” Olinia asked.
“I want to show you something,” he replied.
“Show me what?”
He stood and smiled crookedly. “Put some shoes on.”
“It’s the middle of the night.” She blinked.
“Are you scared of a little adventure?”
“No.”
His smile widened. “Then, why won’t-”
“I kissed Sazx, Will,” she blurted, cutting him off. “A few days before you got here.”
Will stared. She had taken him completely by surprise. He grimaced as an image of Olinia and Sazx wrapped in each other’s arms drifted into his inner eye. The thought both disgusted and angered him, while rendering him injured as well.
“You did what?” He croaked out. His throat felt as if the hole for his airflow was suddenly blocked.
She took a deep breath. “It’s true.”
He was afraid of discovering the answer to his next question. “Are you telling me that you’re with Sazx now? Is that why you’ve been avoiding me?”
“No…” Her voice trailed off.
Will inwardly relaxed a very little. “Do you want to kiss him again?”
“It wouldn’t matter if I did.” She mumbled.
He raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean by that?”
She didn’t answer. Instead, she shook her head again.
Releasing his breath in a rush, Will felt a part of him snapping inside. The woman he loved had kissed another man and was refusing to explain herself. “Have you forgotten the promise we made back in Sivean?”
“Promise?” She blinked.
“You swore to always tell me what you’re thinking,” he reminded her.
“That was a long time ago.”
He grunted. “Not so long for me.”
Olinia sighed and dropped back onto her pillow, turning her back to him. “It’s too late to talk to you about this right now.”
Will’s temper flared. He was coming to the end of his patience. If she didn’t talk to him now, when would it be? “Do you break promises often?”
She whirled, sitting up again. “Me?”
“I’m still waiting for you to tell me.”
“Tell you what?”
“Everything and anything,” he retorted, using her own phrase against her. “Do you want to kiss him again?”
She lifted her legs under the blankets and hugged her knees. “No, I don’t.”
“Then why did you do it in the first place?” He asked, his voice sounding more exasperated than he’d intended.
“Because for so long I felt like you had betrayed me,” she breathed. “During the months you were gone, I wondered if you regretted ever saying that you loved me. At first I worried that something had happened to you – that you were detained in a prison somewhere. But as days turned to weeks and weeks to months, I worried that your absence had somewhat to do with your feelings toward me.” She paused, her fingernails digging into her arms. “I became bitter. Bitter toward you, toward the Other Worlders I’d given up my gifts for, toward my brother who never came to rescue Legann and me, and toward the Ethons I was surrounded by.”
She ran a hand through her hair, pulling back strands that had fallen across her eyes. “Sazx showed me attention and affection I hadn
’t experienced in basically years. When he kissed me, I impulsively allowed it. I shouldn’t have.” She dropped her head into her knees. “I’m sorry, Will.”
Will was ashamed. He’d given Olinia two years of unnecessary pain. He could only imagine what she’d thought of him being away for so long when he’d promised her only one day. Silence stretched between them for a moment. He glanced at one of her room’s curtained windows. “Will you please come with me?”
“To where?” She lifted her head.
“Not far.” He got to his feet and extended a hand for her. “I won’t keep you long.”
Gingerly, she took his hand and slipped out from underneath her covers. “Where are we going?”
He smiled out the corner of his mouth. “Just trust me.”
A minute later, after Olinia had put on a jacket and a pair of shoes, they made their way silently down the stairs to the dark kitchen. Will motioned for her to follow him out the back door, onto the porch. Once outside, he shut the door behind them and pointed into the surrounding forest.
“Do you see them?” Will was pleased that the little fireflies were still swarming the trees.
The moon peeked through the cloud covering overhead, shining onto Olinia. A soft night breeze pulled at the hair surrounding her face, but it wasn’t cold out. Will regretted his sweatshirt. It was a warm night for October. The warmth was probably what drew them out.
She chuckled. “I’ve always liked lightning bugs.”
“Come here.” Will grasped her hand, his fingers slipping between hers, and felt the sparks rippling over his skin.
The fireflies weren’t scared of being close to humans. They continued to flutter around, sharing their blinking light. Will walked deeper into the grove until the tops of the trees hid the house from his view. He then stopped with Olinia beside him. Enough moonlight managed to sneak through the branches overhead for him to still see her expression.