“I am called Lienkin,” he answered her. His deep dark eyes emulated such strong happiness that spying, even Tres felt tiny waves of shivers. Her heart stopped as Lienkin leaned in and Tres watched the girl’s eyes slide shut in anticipation. The awareness that maybe she wanted to be kissed exposed a leaping sense of joy on his face. Tres’ heart was breaking, and each jagged shattered piece ripped angry holes inside her body, filling her full of agony.
“No!” Tres screamed. Abruptly Lienkin straightened up, and Tres could see through her blurry tears that she was caught. She dropped the stone as if it had burned her and her scrying ended.
“Tres, what’s wrong?” He father was standing in her doorway, her mother peaking around him. They both looked worried. Tres wiped the tears off her face and sniffled, lifting her chin a notch.
“I need to talk to the priestess,” she said.
“We’ll go with you,” her mother responded, pushing past her husband and offering her open arms to her daughter. Tres slipped into her mother’s hold and allowed herself to be comforted but she did not cry anymore. Together, her parents escorted her back to Leann.
CHAPTER 22
Lara’s eyes flew open with unmasked annoyance. Then she reigned in her wayward emotions. Why was she so eager to be kissed by this mysterious stranger? Was it because he was tall, dark and handsome? Or was it because she was almost sixteen and still hadn’t experienced her first real kiss?
She hadn’t even had a real boyfriend yet, though she liked to think that was because everyone believed she was Chris’ girlfriend during freshmen year. That rumor started when they went to the first homecoming dance together. It didn’t end till the second homecoming when she went as Eli’s date, and then everyone just believed they had broken up.
Back to the present, she reminded herself. Linn-kin, she sounded out in her mind, strange but not as strange as Zef-tisk. Lienkin had pulled away from her and was staring off again, this time in the direction of a skinny dirt road.
“What’s the matter?” She asked him. He turned his gaze back in her direction and his expression softened.
“There was someone…”He started, but then shook his head as if to clear it and changed the subject. “Never mind that now. Come this way with me, I have something else for you to see.” They changed directions and started back the way they came.
Lienkin led her toward the path she had been traveling with Jade and Zeftx but they didn’t walk on it. Instead, they kept walking through the trees parallel to the path but heading in the same direction. “It is usually safer to stay off the path,” he explained. She merely nodded.
By the time they reached the fork, Lara was starting to wonder if he was going to reveal to her the way to Darby Dale. That theory evaporated when he turned the way opposite from what Jade had told them yesterday to take. She stopped walking and hesitated, knowing that she didn’t have time for this and should go straight home right now.
“What is wrong, sweet Lara?” Lienkin turned and questioned after feeling the tug on his hand when her feet stopped moving. Lara bit her bottom lip and glanced around full of indecision.
“How far will we walk from here?” She asked her own question instead of answering his. He seemed to consider the distance for a moment.
“We’ve come half way. Dusk will descend shortly after we reach our destination.” As he told her, her expression turned more withdrawn from him. “Don’t be afraid,” he whispered, coming close to her again so that his face loomed just above hers.
Most of the magic specks had long ago taken off on their own journeys, but once in a while a stray glimmering piece would reappear like now. It sparkled on his lip as he spoke. “I want you to trust me,” he said, pitching his voice again to where the sound reverberated in her bones. Impulsively Lara reached up to touch the magic speck. When she touched his lips, Lienkin’s breath caught in his throat. The magic fragmented and melted equally into his skin and hers.
“Sorry,” she whispered.
“Don’t be,” he refused her apology. “Come with me Lara, please.” She looked around one more time. If she went, she wouldn’t make it back before nightfall. She didn’t even know where they were going or if it would be safe enough to keep the gargoyles out. “Will you trust me?” He persuaded.
Why not, Lara reasoned at last. It is Sunday, but then again mom and dad won’t be home till noon on Monday. I still have time. This was going to be the longest weekend of her life.
“I still have time,” she repeated out loud. “Lienkin, lead the way.” His face cracked into a huge smile and he twined their fingers together in their clasped hands before pulling her again in his chosen direction.
This leg of the path did not wind or corkscrew. It appeared to stretch forever to the north in one very long strait line. Ever since they turned this way, Lienkin had allowed them to walk on the path.
The fact that they were on it probably had more to do with how difficult it was to force one’s way through the wilderness than it had to do with the security of the trail itself. The jungle was thicker here than it had been to the west where they’d met.
After what felt like ages, they reached a point where the path dead ended in front of a ravine filled with overgrown thickets and thorny brambles. The twisted and gnarled branches reached out with threatening repugnance. The sun was setting over the treetops to the left, casting a menacing atmosphere.
“We are nearly there,” Lienkin promised. Lara gulped down her fear and followed Lienkin closely through the entangled growth. Wherever Jade and Zeftx might be now, she doubted they would ever look for her here. The only sense of hope she could take from that was the chance it also meant the gargoyles wouldn’t either.
CHAPTER 23
Lara was flooded by relief when they came out on the other side of the ravine and the path continued on this end. It persisted north into a cluster of hills, cutting its way through the earthy monuments.
“It’s just past those hills,” Lienkin promised. They trudged on, increasing the pace the nearer they got. There was a section of the path that led them into a cave and out the other side like a tunnel cut for trains. From here, Lara could hear the sound of running water. When they exited the tunnel, she could see the river flowing through the narrow valley.
“We’re right on time,” Lienkin whispered in her ear as dusk settled over them. The sudden sound of crickets chirping and frogs croaking filled her ears as if to confirm what he said.
“For November, it’s not that cold,” she pointed out. Then again, what did she expect from a rain forest. Ever since they moved forward from the clearing, they had been milling their way through the more tropical side of Emmitaenu.
Together, the pair of them walked straight up to the water’s edge. Lara stared at Lienkin expectantly. Now what? She wondered. Although it was secluded, Lara still didn’t feel like they were in the most secure place in Emmitaenu.
“Follow me,” Lienkin released her hand and hopped on a stone sticking out above the water. He tried to spin so he could face her, but the rock was slippery and he almost lost his balance. Desperately he wind milled his arms through the air in a wild arcing motion till he felt safely balanced again.
Lara couldn’t stop herself from bursting out in laughter. Lienkin raised one eyebrow and pressed his lips tightly together to keep from laughing with her. “Well you try it now,” he coaxed before hopping to the next stone.
Grabbing two fists full of Jade’s skirt on either side and lifting it just enough to avoid getting it wet, Lara jumped on the stone and stopped to shift her weight and maintain her balance. One after the other they continued to hop across the river using the stones that seemed perfectly placed for just this purpose.
Lara’s natural grace made the task easy for her. She was having so much fun leaping over the water that she forgot to watch Lienkin’s movements. Before she could catch herself, she jumped way too soon and landed on the next rock before he had vacated it. She collided with his back, causing
them both to sway and fight to keep their footing.
After a few detrimental seconds of struggling to stand, Lienkin gave her the rock and plunged into the water. Lara wasn’t prepared for his sudden relinquishment and accidentally leaned into the empty air where he’d been. Without him there to stop her momentum she fell forward into the water too. She would have landed on top of him if he hadn’t dived away in time.
Lienkin was consumed by a fit of laughter when she surfaced sputtering and flailing her arms in the shallow water. Her clothes were soaked and heavy, sticking to her like a second skin and her hair had turned into a wet burgundy mop that floated around her shoulders in the water. Below the surface she had to hold down her borrowed skirt to keep it from drifting to the top.
Her initial reaction to his amusement at her expense was embarrassment. She wondered how ridiculous she looked. Then, thinking about how ungracefully Lienkin had splashed into the water himself, she too started giggling. As their amusement subsided, Lienkin stared across the water and held her gaze.
“When I was very young, my father took me to the cove to see the mermaids. Right now Lara, you look just like one,” he told her in earnest. His dark surfer boy locks were soaking wet and slicked back away from his face. Droplets of water clung to his eyebrows and eyelashes. One rolled down his cheek like a lost tear. The white cuffed shirt he was wearing turned into a transparent fabric and clung to his skin like static electricity.
Lara took one last eye full before he gulped in a big breath of air and slipped beneath the surface, swimming toward her.
“Lienkin,” she hissed, although she knew he probably couldn’t hear. She slouched to pin the skirt closed around her knees. She wasn’t exactly dressed for swimming and now she wished she was wearing her jeans. Right now she’d bet they were a lot dryer than she was.
Lienkin surfaced right in front of her, and the minute he was steadily back on his feet, he placed both hands on her hips and tugged her gently against him. Although it was a very possessive notion, Lara didn’t resist. He hadn’t stopped hugging her since the moment she met him, literally.
“By the Immortals,” he mumbled musingly. She waited for him to say more. Instead of speaking, he lifted one hand to stroke her cheek.
“Is this what you wanted to show me?” Lara questioned, breaking into the silence.
“No. It is just beyond the water. Would you like to see?” He asked. Lara could feel her face glowing with excitement.
“Of course,” she answered, “isn’t that why we came?”
“Is it?” Lienkin questioned in return, asking himself more than anything. She looked up into his eyes and nodded anyway.
“Lienkin, lead the way.” He smiled and Lara disentangled herself from his hug, tossing back long wet tendrils of hair the color a rose would envy.
Lara and Lienkin both slogged out of the water and finished the journey up the slope on the other side of the river. The sky was changing. The day was officially over and the sun retired for the night, leaving his last ray of light stretched like a rubber band across the empty sky, offering one last promise of tomorrow. She never would have seen it if they weren’t looking over the top of a plateau.
“The king is an expert painter,” Lara repeated Jades words quietly. Lienkin nodded in agreement, not finding the statement at all strange the way she had at first.
The plateau was covered in soft, moist, green moss and wild flowers with beautiful butterflies sleeping on their colorful petals. Looking out past the plateau the forest could be seen for miles around. Lara saw birds taking flight above the canopy of trees.
Everything she looked at was so perfect it was surreal. Lienkin walked toward the center of the plateau where a smooth boulder was located standing about knee high. From a small sheltered depression behind the large rock, he pulled out many different objects and sat them on the flat surface on top.
One of the objects was a candle. Another looked like a cup of rainwater. The last object was a wooden rod. Lara stared at him curiously. He gave her a lopsided smile that made her heart do a summersault. Kneeling, Lienkin gathered a handful of dirt and sprinkled it around the candle in a circle while whispering to himself. She inched closer for a better view.
Slowly he traced the circle of dirt using the wooden rod and Lara Shivered as a sudden breeze circumnavigated them. Still whispering, Lienkin closed his eyes in concentration. A tiny flame burst at the wick of the candle and Lara gasped in amazement. How had he done it? She wondered. Lastly, he poured water from the cup over the circle of dirt, turning it from brown to black.
Lienkin stepped back, and in a strong voice he acknowledged the elements Earth, Air, Fire, and Water. He concluded the acknowledgement by saying the circle was cast. He turned to face Lara and smiled at her excitedly. She gave him an uncertain smile of her own and slowly walked toward him.
“What is all of this?” She asked.
“This,” he responded with visible pride, “is my secret place. I perform my own circles here, and whenever I just need to be alone this is where I go. No one else knows about it, except for you.” He lowered his eyes and inhaled deeply. “This is my sanctuary.”
CHAPTER 24
“I want to make magic with you Lara, here in this place.” Lienkin looked up into her eyes. His were like melted caramel, beseeching her, swaying her to his will. “It would be so wonderful, so pure and personal. It would be so right.”
Lara took in every detail. She looked at the flame of the candle, the dirt and water; she saw the movement of Lienkin’s hair caused by a stealthy breeze. He was already making magic. In the distance the moon was breaking on the horizon, and for a split second Lara’s mind was hijacked by thoughts of Zeftx. Her heart skipped a beat as she realized she had left him and Jade both without warning or some kind of explanation. Then something new caught her eyes and diverted her attention.
She saw what looked like snowflakes, but just couldn’t be in this weather. The floating white particles glowed like fireflies. She started to ask Lienkin what they were, but one look at his face told her he couldn’t see any of it. It was just like the gold dust in the clearing. He could use, attract, and breathe it in, but he couldn’t see it. That’s when it clicked. Magic! It was all magic.
The gold dust during the day and the white dust at night all amounted to the same thing. It was very literally magic. As though confirming her correlation, the glowing, twinkling white particles collected around all the magical elements. It surrounded the candle, the circle of dirt and water, the wand in his hand and even sheltered them both cocooned inside a bigger circle in the air.
The thought of actually using magic was starting to intrigue her and she was beginning to realize she couldn’t say no. The possibilities of what could be done with honest-to-goodness magic were beyond her wildest dreams and she was leaning over that void full of avid curiosity. Carefully she stepped closer and took his hand. He smiled and relief crossed his face. She realized suddenly that he had been worried she would refuse.
Without letting her go, Lienkin kicked off his slushy shoes at the head of the plateau and Lara followed suit. They walked back barefoot to the middle together, their toes tickling as they brushed lightly across the soft moss that coated the entire cap of their secret place. They turned to face the center where the large rock sat, and lifted their joined hands to the sky.
The full moon crawled slowly over the forest treetops in their direction. Lara’s gaze rose to its glowing white light as the pale beams lit their faces and reflected in their eyes. The snowy dust seemed to float to them on the ethereal rays and accumulate in their circle.
Lara was taken by surprise when Lienkin began singing an enchanting song. The sound resonated in her chest from the vibrato of his deep voice. The words formed a love song of admiration and gratitude toward the Immortal Moon Queen. He thanked her for her grace and summoned her to join them.
His voice rang with a sense of fulfillment and he boasted of her blessings. Lara was awed and h
umbled by the magnitude of his song. The story he spun with a lyrical pitch took on a more personal meaning as he got deeper into it. She closed her eyes and listened as he continued on.
Now he spoke of a prophecy coming to life and a promise fulfilled, dually squeezing her hands with his own gentle pair as though to emphasize the importance of its meaning to Lara. Her eyes opened wide as his voice rose with his enthusiasm and his words drifted easily into a second language that Lara did not understand. It had an ancient ring to it that danced along her nerve endings in a tingly sort of way.
Inhaling deeply, Lara tried to distinguish the unique scent of magic before slowly breathing out. Just like she had seen with Lienkin in the clearing, when she exhaled the magical dust spiraled off in a renewed frenzy, charging their circle with even more energy.
Unlike what she had seen in the clearing, the dust that zoomed away from her as she exhaled had taken on a new color. All the particles she breathed out turned blue! Looking to Lienkin yet again for his own reaction, she was once more dissatisfied by his continued lack of recognition.
In fact, the casual passage of magic as it entered and exited his own mobile lips confused her. The moon-guided dust that slipped into Lienkin’s mouth on a subtle intake of breath, between lyrical phrases, was sung out gradually during the refrain with the same bright white intensity that it entered with.
Fascinated, she took a few more gulping breaths, sucking in as much glittering snow-like particles as possible without being obvious about it. She released each breath with deliberate slowness and watched with renewed amazement as each time, the magical specks turned sky blue and joined the circle Lienkin was weaving.
Discovery the Forest of Emmitaenu Page 8