She felt herself tumble into her little tent, welcoming the small amount of shade it offered. As she went to lie back on her bedroll, she noticed that a pile of clothing had been left by the tent’s small entrance, probably by one of Spencer’s slaves. She reached out to examine a piece of the new attire, than began to shred her damp woolen cloths in exchange for the lighter material.
The dress was something Zora had never seen before and was way too light and exposed for her to ever think about wearing it before today. It was pastel blue in color and airy. The first piece was a long flowing skirt that reached down to her ankles and had a band that went around her small waist. The accompanying top was sleeveless with small straps that clasped at the shoulders. It fell just above her naval so that her abdomen wouldn’t show unless she raised her arms.
At her shoulders, woven into the straps, were large golden sunbursts representing the Carian emblem. Another piece of her outfit remained, and Zora realized it was a cape that attached to the golden sunbursts on her straps. The cape was made up of a satin underlay with a fine white lace patterns over top. She ran her hands over it delicately deciding that the swamp forest was not the place to wear such finery. She refolded it and tucked it under her arm protectively.
When Zora was done changing, she thrust her head between the flaps of her tent and called out to one of the passing slaves.
“Have you received any word on Spencer’s return?” she asked the slave. “He’s been gone for two mornings now.”
“No, Lady Winnser,” the slave replied. “He comes and goes as he pleases.” He bowed his head and went about his business. “
Honestly, she had no desire for Spencer to return, but Dakota was with him, and he’s the one she actually wanted to see. Zora sighed heavily to herself then retreated back inside as the scar above her hip began burn incessantly. Frustrated with her mysterious illness, Zora began searching for her small looking glass that she’d brought with her from home. It was tucked in her puzzle chest, and she pulled it out gently since looking glasses were fragile and rare. She turned it over in her hands, feeling the coolness of the glass on her palms as her tormented inner thoughts took over.
Today was the first time that Zora had intentionally flowed Ithillium in the way Liam had taught her. In doing so, she’d been able to witnesses how abounding and extravagant her gift truly was. There were certain signs in her life that always told Zora she was different, and she recalled occurrences in her past in which she’d involuntary flowed Ithillium, but those situations were always caused by strong emotions such as anger or fear. But purposely Bonding with Ithillium and letting its exuberant power surge through her body till it became an extension of her own living energy was the most exhilarating sensation she’d ever experienced. Thinking back on it, today was the first time in a long time Zora had felt mentally and emotionally free. She was invigorated by Ithillium’s goodness and power, and she wanted more of it.
She couldn’t understand why Liam was so angry with her for creating the tidal wave. Today’s lesson showed her that she was able to flow Ithillium in an exceedingly powerful manner when she allowed herself to draw from her own inner thoughts and emotions, not the sources around her. Somehow Liam had made her feel like doing something like that was wrong, like it was a crime. Zora continued to move the looking glass in her hands while she contemplated.
Everything is so confusing, she thought despairingly. If only there was a way to get the right answers to all of my unanswered questions.
Zora ran her hand absentmindedly over her abdomen. She brought forth the looking glass because she was debating whether to look at her scar, which was burning on her already heated skin. She wanted to examine its strangeness, the foreign curves and lines of a very calculated design. It was a part of who she was, but at the same time, she wanted to pretend it didn’t exist.
Zora was exasperated with feeling so helpless and deserted all the time. She was tired of being in pain from the old wound on her side, but she was mostly at wit’s end with the persistent sleepless nights and the images of an unknown man beckoning to her in her dreams. Even though flowing Ithillium was the most amazing experience she’d ever had, somehow the phantom was infiltrating that part of her life as well. Despite his presence that appeared barely above her waking consciousness, Zora felt a glimmer of hope awaken inside of her. Perhaps there was something to this gift of hers that would be able to combat the eternal disconnect that occupied her life.
Once I learn how to flow Ithillium correctly, then my mind will be at ease, and I won’t have these surreal dreams of a man with black hair and a sinister smile convincing me to serve him.
Another stab of pain brought Zora out of her deep thought, and she grasped her side in anguish. Angry, she stood up and pulled the bottom half of her dress a little lower on her midsection till the scar was exposed. She placed the mirror in front of it to try to understand how such a little nuisance could cause so much distress. She gaped in horror at what she saw.
The scar was covered in bright crimson blood. She couldn’t be positive it wasn’t her own, yet it wasn’t dripping or seeping through her clothing. Bewildered, Zora ran her finger across the scar, but no blood came off. She watched in the mirror as the blood slowly faded into her skin revealing nothing more than a pale white outline underneath it. Not knowing what else to do, Zora hastily grabbed a vile of lavender oil from her herb chest and began vigorously rubbing it on the scar, as if that would somehow remove it from existence. The oil actually helped lessen the burning sensation, and she didn’t stop until it was gone. As she tended to the abnormal wound with tears of helplessness in her eyes, her senses suddenly picked up on movement outside of the camp.
Someone is coming, her intuition whispered to her. Zora paused for a moment to listen, blinking back the water in her eyes. She grabbed her dirk to protect herself as a human suddenly appeared in the doorway to her tent, forming a shadow against the afternoon sun.
“Hey,” Liam said simply. Zora sighed in annoyance, slamming the dirk down and rolling up the bottom half of her dress to hide her scar.
“I could feel someone creeping up on me,” Zora said shortly. “I just didn’t know it was you.” A small smile tugged at the corners of Liam’s lips, prematurely displaying the dimples in his cheeks.
“I told you sorcerers were better in tune to one another,” he reminded her. “Now you’re starting to feel it too.”
“I’ve always known when you were close by,” Zora admitted softly. “How do you think I found your cell that night in Mizra when I came to you?”
Liam was about to say something then paused, as if he was seeing her for the first time.
“You look different,” he remarked. “But in a good way.”
“Oh yea,” Zora said with a roll of her eyes. “Supposedly it’s custom Carian clothing.” She fingered the light pastel clothing nervously while he gazed at her.
“Well, it looks good,” Liam insisted. He chewed his fingernails nervously for a moment. “Can we talk?” he asked.
Zora nodded then motioned for him to come into the tent. She took a seat, placing the looking glass and lavender oil back in her puzzle chest, then looked at him expectantly as he sat across from her.
“I apologize for being so curt with you earlier,” Liam began. “I shouldn’t have expected you to leave your homeland behind just because I asked you to. You don’t know anything about Cerendova, or me really. It wasn’t fair for me to ask.”
“No, it wasn’t,” Zora concurred. “While I’m grateful for everything you’ve taught me so far, this newfound ability is only a recent addition to my life, whereas my place as a noble has been my lot since birth. I’m destined to rule a land, and one day it will be my own. That takes priority over everything.”
Zora’s voice cracked as she said this, and Liam thought he could see tears begin to glisten in her topaz eyes. She rubbed them away with the heels of her hands. “I’ve already been uprooted once in the last month, Liam. Ple
ase try and understand how hard that has been for me. You can’t expect me to do it again. Right now, I’m just trying to come to terms with the cards I’ve been dealt.”
“You have a choice, Zora, to leave here if you want,” Liam reminded her. “I’m giving you an escape. Coming to Cerendova will be your way out, but soon it will be too late.”
Zora knew Liam was implying her upcoming wedding day that would seal the deal for her as a member of the ruling DeVore family.
“Everything happens for a reason,” Zora responded, “even if I don’t know what it is yet.”
She paused and looked away from him, trying to form her racing thoughts into words. “I cannot forsake Samaria. The thought of one day returning there and taking my rightful place as Queen is the only thing sustaining me through this unwanted move and marriage. I promised myself when I left that I would do everything possible to prevent my mother from destroying my beautiful country and all the innocent people within it. I intend to keep the vows I’ve made to myself. Going to Cerendova at this point will only take me further and further away from where I need to be, which is back in Samaria.”
Her piercing blue eyes bore into his as the usually reserved Zora laid her heart out to him.
“And how are you planning on doing this?” Liam challenged. “Return alone and unaided to fight a Samarian Queen whose rule is strong?” Zora looked down at her lap.
“I have no idea,” she whispered. “But that doesn’t matter to me. Besides, you have other obligations as a Warden. You said so yourself. What good would it do for me to go to Cerendova when you’d be gallivanting across the Commoner Realm leaving me to fend for myself? It doesn’t make any sense.”
It makes perfect sense to me, Liam wanted to say. I want to take you as far away from this place as possible. Montanisto is an unforgiving and harsh land, for reasons other than the leagues of swamps surrounding it. But the Warden didn’t voice his concerns.
“I can’t permanently stay with you in Montanisto, even though I want to,” he explained sadly. “My other obligations will ultimately pull me away. But despite that, I still promise to train you. Even if you never visit Cerendova and your final choice is to remain in these lands forever, I still think it’s important you learn how to control your gift.” Zora’s conflicted eyes brightened up a little when he said this.
“I want that, very much. You always were, and will continue to be, my teacher.” She gave him an encouraging smile that made the Warden feel a bit more at ease.
“I’m in this Realm quite often,” Liam told her. “My home is not as far from here as one would think. I’ll see what I can do about getting an assignment in Cara, and I’ll come visit you as often as I can. In fact, I’ll probably be here so often that you’ll get tired of seeing me.” Zora chuckled when he said this. She crawled over to him and sat right in front of his crossed legs and placed her hands on his knees.
“That’ll never happen,” she promised. Liam laughed back. He grabbed her hands and began brushing his fingertips along the inside of her palms causing Zora’s skin to prickle pleasantly.
“Can I admit something to you?” she asked, and Liam smiled coyly. “I knew you weren’t being truthful with me that night in your bedchamber, when you told me the Queen had given you leave to come to Montanisto.”
“Oh yea? How’s that?” he taunted.
“The night of my wedding celebration, I’d planned on slipping a truth telling brew into my mother’s wine to find out the real reason she was shipping me off to Montanisto. Unfortunately, Spencer got ahold of it on accident and downed the whole thing. While we were dancing, he began spitting off a whole bunch of absurd truths that only someone intoxicated by my brew would dare say. So, I took the liberty to ask him if he would allow you to come to Montanisto with me, but he refused. My brews are flawless and always on point, Liam. How could he be lying?”
The Warden had stopped his playful flirting and was now looking at her in astonishment.
“You really shouldn’t play in things you don’t understand, Zora. That’s extremely juvenile. Mind altering brews can be deadly if not used correctly. You could have killed someone!” Zora was shocked speechless at the Warden’s harsh reaction to her honesty.
“Don’t understand? I understand what I do much better than you think, Liam!”
“No, you don’t!” he argued. “If you use Ithillium in any wrong way, it could be disastrous! What you do with plants requires bonding with Ithillium. You mustn’t use your gift for the wrong reasons!” Zora’s shock quickly turned into anger.
“You scold me as a student whose been doing this her whole life, yet you forget I’m nothing more than a novice! I only do what feels right to me, and so far it has worked. Even my brews.”
As she roiled internally, her anger increased as the source of Liam’s aversion to her potion became apparent.
“You’re not really upset that I made the brew are you?” she demanded. “You could care less for Spencer or Evangeline’s welfare. You’re just upset because its unintentional effects allowed me to catch you in a lie!” Zora scrambled to her feet and towered over him.
“I don’t know why I even bother. You’ve been lying to me for three whole years about everything! Are you doing it now? Are you telling me you’ll come see me and train me when in fact you have no intention to?”
Zora was yelling, and tears of defeat were coming back in full force. “And what about the other promises you made me?” she demanded. “The one to help me figure out how I got this accursed thing!”
She showed him the scar again, although now it was white and faint on her smooth skin. Liam immediately jumped up as her tears threatened to spill over her flushed cheeks. He placed his hand affectionately over the scar, feeling the silky remnants of the lavender oil. He slid his other arm around her waist and brought her close into him.
“I won’t forget that promise,” he whispered in her ear. “That I can assure you. I know you’re going through something, and I don’t have the knowledge to help you. But there is someone in Cerendova that I know I can confide in. He’s a dear friend who’s extremely pious and intelligent. Once I have an answer for you, I won’t hesitate to return here.” He squeezed her in closer, and Zora could hear the honesty in his words.
The young woman felt Liam run his hand across the small of her back as he slowly leaned in towards her. She could smell the fresh windy scent that seemed to flow off his skin, and she inhaled it deeply till she was dizzy. Zora felt his other hand gently slide under her jawbone and cup the back of her neck, causing her stomach to fill with butterflies. Then he tenderly brought his lips close to her and planted a kiss on her forehead, lingering there only for a moment before drawing back. His blue-green eyes peered into hers.
“Keep practicing everything I have shown you,” Liam said. “And remember to do it with a clear mind. Emotionless. Never let anyone see what you do. Practice in the quiet solitude of your personal chambers, away from meddlesome eyes and ears. I cannot emphasize the importance of this. If anyone were to suspect you of being a Slythos.” He gulped hard. “I’m not sure I’d ever see you again.”
Zora nodded compliantly, dreading the moment he was going to pull away from her. That would mean he was leaving to do what Wardens had to do. “Be safe,” he added. “I’ll be back soon. I promise.” He turned to go.
“Liam!” Zora called. He stopped at the entrance of the tent and looked at her.
“What if I change my mind? What if I find out that a life in Montanisto isn’t one I want to live. How do I find you?”
He fully faced her now. “Use Ithillium,” he replied. “Think back to all of our lessons in Samaria. Do you remember the brightest star in the southern sky?”
“It’s Sirius, I think. It’s in the Canis Major constellation.”
“Yes. Face the southern sky just before dawn when Sirius is most visible and make the Bond with the starlight. Flow it through you then release it back into the sky.” Zora looked confused.
“I don’t understand.”
“Think of me when you do it. I’ll get the message.”
And then he was gone.
Zora stood for a while, sill feeling the lingering remnants of Liam’s warm touch on her neck, his gentle kiss on her forehead, and the smell of his body heat that seem to permeate her cozy little tent. She tightly gripped her hourglass pendant and traced its curved outline slowly with her thumb. Then Zora felt something that she’d never felt before- a deep ache in the core of heart caused by being separated from Liam Pershing Rose. Over the last month she seemed to have lost everything that was dear to her and gained only a little bit in return.
Chapter 18
Liam found his stallion, Brody, parked close to Spencer’s camp. He was hitched up to a low hanging oak branch that was concealed by excess vegetation. Liam had come to see the horse earlier that morning before Zora had even awoken, and everything was as he’d left it. The stallion was healthy and muscular, with a glossy midnight coat and a hint of white on his chest and muzzle. The beast greeted him noisily when he sighted his rider.
“Hey, boy,” Liam greeted glumly, running his hand over the horse’s back. “Are you ready to leave this horrible place and go home?” The stallion neighed in return making Liam feel a little bit better about temporarily relinquishing Zora to fend for herself in Montanisto.
I will be back, Liam reminded himself. And I will make a point to seek out my friend in Cerendova who may be able to shed light on Zora’s strange visions.
Liam grabbed his saddle pad and placed it in the center of Brody’s back. He then draped a blanket over it before putting on the saddle and pulling the girths tight. He easily bridled the horse and fit the bit in his mouth, since Brody was well accustomed to the processes. He loaded up all his equipment and checked to ensure everything was secure before stepping into the stirrups and lifting himself onto the horse.
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