Birth Stone

by Kate Kelley

  “Thank you,” he said quietly, “For using my name. And for...not holding back with me today. It makes me almost feel normal.” Gone was any shred of royalty. His face was open, human.

  Lyra’s heart swelled, a rush of adrenaline rousing her out of her weariness. She wanted him to look at her like that every day.

  It’s not going to happen.

  “I’m just following your order,” she said tightly.

  Terrin let her arm go, blinking. “Right,” he said dryly, “Well, goodnight then.”

  Lyra internally kicked herself as Terrin stalked out of the room, his shirt still off and slung over his broad shoulders.

  Maybe that was too cruel.

  She didn’t dwell on it any longer, weariness overtaking her once more as she trudged up the stairs and into her bedroom, collapsing on the bed without undressing and surrendering to sleep.

  Chapter 17

  Lyra sat on a stone bench in the middle of a busy market day, people-watching, auras of different colors swirling in and out as they passed by her. Terrin would kill her if he knew she was sneaking out by herself. A gust of wind tore through, pulling dried leaves from their branches and scattering them across the cobblestone. She welcomed the breeze.

  Terrin was right--she did heal quickly now. She was stronger, and faster. Terrin had her running laps, climbing hills, and lifting weights. Along with her faster healing, she had a faster strengthening too--she was becoming exceptionally fit. Her energy, physically and magically, was vibrant. If she had had a vision a month ago of her current self, she wouldn’t have believed it. She felt like herself for the first time since her parents died.

  But that didn’t mean she hadn’t been suffering. Training was brutal. Bruises and aching muscles were her life now, and had been for the past two weeks, even as her healing improved. And while she relished in her newfound confidence and power, she was lonely. Every night she dreamed of Alec, calling out to her for help, screaming her name. And other voices screaming--voices she couldn’t name but that haunted her when she woke.

  Terrin was cold and distant toward her again, sticking to the lessons he taught her and not engaging in other conversation. Not that she tried either. An emotional distance was good. It kept her from doing something asinine, like kiss him when he knocked her back onto the dirt and pinned her there with one arm. Her lust had only grown during the weeks, an ever-present inferno, seeing him, touching him every night hadn’t helped. But she could ignore it if he didn’t look her in the eye for longer than a second at a time.

  Her loneliness also came from not seeing Oriel at all in the last two weeks, and Poppi very scarcely. She had spotted her cleaning around the palace a few times, and once when she had showed up at her door with another training outfit for her. She hadn’t said much about it, just that she thought she might need another one to wear while the other was drying. Then she had left, quick as she came, hardly allowing Lyra to say thank you. And she was thankful--for everything Poppi had done for her. She wondered if their friendship was forever severed.

  Staring into the throng of people, gaze unfocused, she suddenly had a feeling someone she knew was near. Eyes snapping into focus she surveyed the group before her, their backs to her. One man, tall with curly brown hair, stuck out to her. Then his face turned--

  “Oriel!” She exclaimed, rising from her bench and waving toward him. He turned to look right at her. She noticed Persimmon was with him, then, when she looped her arm through his, squinting at Lyra suspiciously. Oriel’s face cracked into a smile when he saw her, shrugging his companion off and jogging toward her. He wrapped her in a fierce hug, and Lyra was surprised that tears stung her eyes.

  “I’ve missed you so much Oriel.”

  Oriel sobered. “I’ve missed you too. Whoa!” He squeezed Lyra’s biceps, “You are getting strong. Let me see.” He took her hand and spun in her a circle, whistling as she spun, her ankle-length cotton gown lifting slightly in the breeze. Her face heated and she let out a laugh, something she hadn’t done in a two long weeks.

  “I’ve missed you,” she said again, shaking her head.

  “I was actually coming up to see you today. I’ve been with--”

  “Me. He’s been with me,” Persimmon sidled up Oriel and spoke in that honey-sweet voice. Lyra wasn’t fooled. Oriel looked down on Persimmon, then lifted her chin with a finger.

  “Dear, would you let me discuss something with Lyra in private for a moment? I’d like to get this finished so I can spend the rest of the day with you.” Even Lyra was almost convinced of his genuity. Persimmon pouted and shot Lyra a dirty look.

  “Fine, but make it quick.” She stalked away to the other side of the street. Oriel made sure she was out of earshot before turning back to Lyra.

  “I want to start crystal healing lessons with you tonight. I’ll come get you. And we need to practice mind reading. Do you think you could handle it, what with your other training?”

  Lyra shrugged. “Terrin is cutting it down to three times a week instead of every night, so I’m sure I’ll be able to.”

  Oriel searched her eyes. “It’s Terrin, is it now?”

  Lyra shrugged again, feigning indifference. “He prefers me to call him by his name.”

  Oriel nodded, a smirk on his face. “I’m sure he does,” he said suggestively.

  Lyra rolled her eyes and punched him in the arm.

  “Ow! You do have an arm on you now, don’t you?”

  “Yes, so you better watch how you insult me from now on,” she said with a wink. Oriel looked over his shoulder to check if Persimmon was still on the other side of the street. She was, but was glaring at the two.

  “Have you gotten anything out of her yet?” Lyra asked in a hushed tone.

  Oriel’s brow creased. “I think so, but I need another week yet. She’s having a meeting with Abner next week and I want to sit in on that.”

  Lyra touched his arm. “Have you been awfully miserable?”

  “A little,” he said with a wicked smile, “but Persimmon makes up for it when she isn’t talking.” It was his turn to wink at her. Lyra’s eyes widened.

  “What happened to not sharing her bed even if someone paid you?”

  Oriel shrugged, and he looked down at her, eyes softening. “I do what I can to make being away from you bearable.” Lyra smiled up at him, thankful to see his warm brown eyes again. His hand came up to graze her cheek. Persimmon stepped up hastily, her chest heaving.

  “All finished with your little tête-à-tête?” She glared coldly at Lyra while clenching Oriel’s arm.

  “I’ll see you later, Oriel,” Lyra grumbled, ready to get away before she punched the woman. “You two enjoy your day.”

  She walked away, keeping her eyes on the dark castle on the hill, standing like a safe haven against the backdrop of a heavy gray sky. Making her way back again, Autumn leaves scuttling the ground in her wake.

  ✽✽✽

  She made it up to the castle’s gate, eyes burning and nose cold. The temperature had dropped considerably during her walk. She looked to the sky, wondering if it would rain. October was here, and Lyra wasn’t ready for the chill it brought.

  “Miss Addisonia!” A deep voice rang out ahead of her. Lyra looked for the source. A knight clad in armor stepped out of the shadow of the portcullis. Lyra’s stomach dropped. She was still leery of the knights. Historically, they’d brought her nothing but pain. Lyra kept steady eyes on him, advancing to where he stood at attention, waiting. Lyra had learned quite a few tricks on how to take down a man, but she’d yet to work with a weapon--or how to circumvent that much armor. She thought she could at the very least use her aura. It was a weapon in it’s own right., after all.. Prepared for the worst, Lyra stopped a couple feet away.

  “Yes?” She asked tentatively.

  “A visitor is here to see you, miss. He insisted seeing you outside of the castle.” Lyra’s mind reeled, wondering who it could possibly be. She nodded, curiosity getting the better of
her.

  “I can stand nearby, miss, if you wish.” He was offering her protection. Surprised, Lyra followed his lead.

  “I’m grateful,” she said as they walked through the portcullis and into the castle’s front gardens. It was like a maze, stone walkway narrow with seven foot hedges and trees acting as walls. They wound their way through the spiral until at last they stopped in the middle where a cherub fountain bubbled, shooting water out of it’s pursed lips. A movement on the other side of the fountain caught her eye.

  “Oh!” Lyra yelped, bringing her hands up to her mouth in surprise.

  There stood Edwin, arms open wide, smiling broadly.

  “Come here, love.”

  Lyra’s feet rooted to the spot. An inkling of unease dripped down her center. Edwin brought his arms down, his smile fading, and closed the distance between them. He wrapped wiry arms around her, squeezing her to him and inhaling her scent through her neck.

  “Gods, I’ve missed you,” he breathed.

  Confusion and anger coursed through her as her arms hung limp at her sides.

  “You didn’t return my letters,” she said numbly. “I sent..six letters, Edwin. All unanswered.” He reared back, peering with confusion into her eyes. She’d almost forgotten what he looked like. Perfect blonde hair swept neatly to the side, piercing blue eyes, angular face. Classically, boyishly handsome. More handsome than she remembered, actually.

  “Lyra, I wrote you back each time. And I even wrote more besides. I think I must have written a letter for every day that you’ve been gone.”

  Alarm and confusion hit Lyra like a ton of bricks. She shook her head but Edwin continued. “I’ve been working ceaselessly to try to get to you, but there was a block on ships going into Gem. I finally was able to hire a captain that didn’t mind breaking a few rules--”

  “Wait. Wait. Hold on.” Lyra held her hands up, backing up a few paces to get a breath.

  “I never received any letters from you. Not one. Maybe they got misplaced--” Lyra stopped short, knowing it wasn’t the truth.

  Something was wrong. Someone had intercepted the letters. The only person she could think of was Terrin. Rage, pure rage burned through her to think that he meddled in her affairs in such a way to withhold letters that were rightfully hers. Edwin’s eyes took on a calculating glow.

  “I’ll find out what happened to the letters. And there will be consequences. But Lyra, my sweet, sweet Lyra..” He took her hands again and she let him. His hands were as cold as hers.

  “I wanted to apologize. For not being able to come sooner. For not--for not preventing those knights from taking you in the first place. I hate myself that I didn’t run away with you when I had the chance.”

  Lyra shook her head, shushing him. “It’s okay, Edwin. None of that was your fault. There was nothing you could have done.”

  Edwin took a deep, shaky breath and looked into her eyes. “Lyra. You being ripped away from me made me realize something. I’m not the man I need to be without you. You belong by my side.” Butterflies filled Lyra’s stomach, almost to the point of feeling ill. Edwin dropped to his knees.

  Yep, I’m ill.

  Lyra’s heart nearly burst from her chest when Edwin pulled a small wooden box from his robes. Opening it, Edwin peered up wistfully into Lyra’s eyes, “Marry me. Make me whole again.”

  Lyra clutched her stomach as bile rose in her throat. She whipped around, drawing a shaky breath to quell the breakfast that threatened to leave her stomach.

  The sky rumbled and Lyra looked up at it dumbly, mouth agape. Edwin was standing in front of her now, softly clutching her arms.

  “I tried to come get you Lyra. I tried with everything I had. And here I am. I made it happen. Please. Say you’ll be my wife. Come back with me.” Edwin held the wooden box open, and Lyra’s mind stopped reeling when she saw what was inside. The most beautiful, colorful ring she had ever seen lay inside, shining out with a life of its own. A shining white gold band twisted and arranged in such a way as to resemble a tree with seven different types of gems set on the crest of each silver branch.

  “Edwin, my gods! This must have cost a fortune!”

  Edwin chuckled. “It was virtually free. You see, these are the gems your aunt gave me when I asked her for your hand. She gave me her blessing, and said that I should bring these to you. That these were your most sacred possessions. I thought...what better way to show you how much I love and adore you.”

  Lyra was speechless. Alec’s gems--the ones he gifted her, set in a ring together for her to wear with her everyday. It was a truly brilliant idea. She looked into Edwin’s desperate face.

  He loves me. He wrote me letters. He defied the law to come rescue me.

  He wants to marry me.

  Lyra should have already said yes but she couldn’t escape the nagging feeling that this was somehow off.

  “Are my original gems intact?” She asked quietly.

  “Yes, of course,” he replied immediately, “Just a small amount was taken off each one to make the ring. I have the original stones in the original box back at my home. Our home, if you accept me.” She’d never seen him so vulnerable before, risking his pride like this. This is what she’d been waiting for, back before her whole life had changed a month ago. She thought of life back at the Mainland. Teaching school, going back home to her aunt. Loneliness sucked her dry. What would happen when they found Alec? When they brought him back and Terrin and Oriel went back to their separate lives? What was she returning to? Where would she go? Who would she have waiting for her?

  Terrin has Princess Navi. The thought struck her in the gut like a bag of stones. She might be a mage, but even mages needed normalcy. Even mages needed a companion. And she was twenty-six now.

  “Yes,” she exclaimed, in a rush of breath, “I’ll marry you, Edwin.” The words barely left Lyra’s mouth, and she wondered if he had heard them. But when he picked her up and swung her around, she felt a brief moment of joy. She had someone. Someone who came back just for her. Who wanted her, and her alone. She hugged his neck tight. Setting her back to the ground, Edwin laughed.

  “Come, we must be off if we want to sneak past the guards. The ship is docked somewhere secretive. I have a carriage that can take us--”

  “I can’t go with you now, Edwin. There are certain duties I am responsible for now.” Lyra’s face became a blank slate, clamping down her shield. She knew Edwin wasn’t a mage, but she still needed to feel shielded. Edwin’s jaw clenched and he huffed out a breath.

  “I see no one holding you in chains, sweet girl. Let’s be off.” He grabbed her hand and tugged her toward the exit of the maze. A dark figure emerged from that exit, blocking the way.

  “Damn it, Terrin!” Lyra shrieked. The man was always jumping out and scaring her. It wreaked havoc on her nerves. Edwin’s gaze swung back and forth between Terrin and Lyra, his face slack.

  “You are here illegally,” Terrin spoke to Edwin. His growl was barely contained within a layer of steel. Edwin was quick to bow, keeping his eyes on the ground.

  “I was just leaving,” Edwin said smoothly, “and my bride is coming with me.”

  Chapter 18

  Before Lyra could respond, Terrin moved toward Edwin and grabbed him by the front of his shirt, lifting him off of the ground. Edwin’s face reddened, eyes popping out of his skull. He raised his hands in truce.

  “You owe a fine to my kingdom for trespassing. If you don't leave now, the consequences will be far greater.” Edwin nodded once, and Terrin let him go with a snarl. The knight that had chaperoned Lyra came around the corner of a bush and stalked toward Edwin. Noting his imminent capture, Edwin turned to Lyra and slipped the ring onto her left ring finger, then slammed his mouth across hers. The heat of his tongue slipped between her lips for a moment before he broke the kiss. A calming sense of peace and happiness bubbled up through Lyra and she smiled, genuinely, at her betrothed.

  “I'll see you soon,” she whispered to him, sque
ezing his hand. The knight clutched Edwin's arm, ripping them apart and steering him out of the maze.

  “I swear on my honor I'll return for you, my beloved!” Edwin’s voice trailed off as the distance between them grew.

  Now it was just Terrin and her.

  They stared at each other for what felt like an eternity. The sky grew black. Leaves ripped through the air and raked the ground. Earth-shattering thunder broke the silence. Terrin stayed a moment longer, then turned and disappeared around the hedge.

  Oh, no, he doesn't. Rage sparked through her. She shouted after him. “Terrin!”

  No reply. An icy raindrop stung her cheek. She ran out of the maze, seeking the exit. More icy raindrops splattered her face.

  “Terrin! I must speak with you!” Breaking out of the maze, she watched him stalking toward the second archway. He was deliberately ignoring her.

  This wasn't how it worked. Not anymore. She had grown up, and she faced her demons, starting with Terrin. He had a few things to answer for and she wasn't going to let him get away.

  Hiking her dress up, she silently praised herself on keeping her combat clothes on underneath her dresses these days and wrenched the useless article of clothing off, throwing the mass of fabric to the cold ground. She was wearing her new training outfit, this one was different as the top was tight and bared her midriff. She had been hesitant to wear it, but now wasn't the time for coyness.

  Zeroing in on her target, she took a steadying breath. The rain was pouring now, creating a milky veil around her and soaking her to the bone. She barely noticed.

  She took off in a sprint toward him, the static shower of rain and crashing clouds masking the sound of her boots thudding the wet grass. When she got a couple feet away, Terrin stopped suddenly, as if he heard her. She leapt, bringing her arm around his neck into a headlock and clasping his back tightly with her thigh muscles.

  He grunted but barely moved from his spot, somehow staying rooted to the ground. Lyra pushed her aura into the headlock, tightening and strengthening it. She was careful not to press too hard on his artery.