Lyricus chuckled. “Because you’re an elf, and most elves are born with the ability. They just need to learn how to use it. This is not something taught at the Fey Academy, I learned from the elves in the Forever Forest during my training as a guard.”
Belle’s eyes lit up. “Wow, I’d love to be able to do that. I always feel so useless only being able to heal and talk to animals.”
“Hey, don’t ever say your Gifts are useless. They’re awesome, just like you!”
Belle giggled, feeling the heat rising in her face. “In your humble opinion? Okay, I’m ready when you are.”
Lyricus taught her how to probe her Gift, and open her awareness to other possibilities. She had only ever asked it to heal or speak to animals; she had no idea what else she might be capable of. She pictured the shield Lyricus had created, asking her Gift if she could replicate it. A tingling sensation ran down her arms, and instead of her hands glowing, as they did when she was healing, they shimmered, as the shield had.
“Great, you’re doing it,” Lyricus said. “Now send the shimmering out with your mind, until it’s all around us.”
She concentrated on doing as he’d said, and excitement ran through her as she saw the shimmering expand and settle around them.
“I did it!” She threw her arms around Lyricus’ neck and hugged him. “Thank you.”
Lyricus’ eyes shone with pride. He reached out and brushed a strand of hair from her face, his eyes darkening. “I never doubted you’d be able to do it for a minute.” A cheeky grin lifted the corners of his mouth. “Ummm… you know we’re invisible, right?”
She nodded, holding her breath. “So?” she whispered.
He kissed her forehead, his lips warm and gentle. “So… I can finally do something I’ve wanted to do for a very long time.”
Her stomach was doing backflips, her heart racing. She lifted her face, and their lips met. Belle felt as if she were floating on a cloud. It was the most wonderful thing that had ever happened to her. She wanted it to go on forever.
Lyricus lifted his head, his eyes burning into hers. Suddenly he was chuckling, his eyes watching something over her shoulder. He turned her around, and there was Leah wandering around looking for them. Belle sighed, returning to the real world with a thud.
“Guess I better release the shield then. But I think I’m going to need much more practice at this!”
Lyricus smiled. “Creating shields or kissing?”
Belle grinned as she dissolved the shimmering shield surrounding them. “Both,” she said, giggling at the look on his face.
Chapter Fifteen
-Different Paths-
Aracus had been at the meeting for hours. Nervously awaiting the outcome, the children had tried to make the time pass quicker by discussing what they’d learned about their Gifts earlier in the day. Raff was amazed at what his grandfather had been able to teach him in such a short time, and there was much excitement over Belle’s newly-learned ability to raise a shield.
The front door opened and closed, and Aracus stood in the doorway. He didn’t have to say a word. The anger and sadness on his face told them the meeting hadn’t gone well.
“I’m sorry, I tried everything. But the fools can’t see what’s staring them in the face. They seriously believe that once you leave, Serbus will forget we’re here! I’m sorry guys, I tried everything, but they wouldn’t see it our way.”
Raff shrugged. “So when do we leave?”
Aracus looked at Melinda, and then back at Raff. “You will need to leave at first light.”
Raff felt a little piece of his heart chip off and shatter into a million pieces. “Whadya mean? You guys have to come with us!”
Aracus’ face was a mask of misery. “I’m sorry, my boy… I have to stay. The advisors may be idiots, but there are many people here who depend on me. Besides, you’ll be back before we know it, and then we can go kick some kitsune butt together!”
Raff was so angry he wanted to punch something. He felt Leah’s hand reaching for his, but he was too worked up to care. He stood up and stormed out the front door, slamming it behind him.
He’d never even wanted to find his family. But he had, and now he wanted them to stay a part of his life. He wanted to march down to the meeting hall and scream at the advisors who thought they knew so much about the world. What would they know? They lived in a place totally cut off from reality, where everything was nice, and people did what was expected of them. They were a bunch of idiots!
He heard the door behind him open, and stiffened as his grandfather walked up beside him, draping his arm over his shoulder. “I’m sorry Raff. I wish things could be different. But we each have our responsibilities, and they lay along different paths for now. Don’t worry; we’ll have plenty of time when this is all over to do stuff together. I intend to be around to watch my great-grandchildren grow up.” He winked, and Raff felt the anger evaporate. It was replaced by an aching sadness.
“Okay, we’ll go and bring back help. But you’d better be here when we get back. If things go bad, you and Melinda need to get out of here. I’ll find you, wherever you are.”
He was enveloped in a bear hug as soon as he finished speaking. “I promise. Now we’d better get back inside. There are some very worried people in there who happen to love you as much as I do.”
* * *
The first rays of sunlight beat down on them as the children said their final goodbyes and headed off. Raff could feel his grandparents’ eyes on his back as they rode away from the shield. Aracus had persuaded the advisors to supply them with horses, and Raff was sure they’d only agreed because it meant they could travel further from the Haven faster. They each carried a backpack filled with food and water. He knew his grandmother had been up all night, making sure they contained everything the travellers could possibly need.
Leah’s leg brushed against his as she moved her horse closer, the worry in her eyes for once not dispelling his misery. “Hey, you okay?”
Raff shrugged. “Yeah, I guess. I’m sorry I’ve been such a misery-guts. Leaving them there just feels… wrong.”
“I’m sorry Raff. I know it sucks. But we’ll be back soon. Hey, did I tell you Melinda explained how come there’s grass and trees in the Haven?”
He knew she was trying to distract him from his thoughts, and smiled. “No you didn’t, but it sounds like you’re busting to… so tell me.”
“It’s thanks to the earth fairies. They can call the water from underground and nurture the plants with their Gifts. Melinda showed me how. Did you know she has fairy blood in her?”
He only half-listened as Leah launched into the details of sourcing water and coaxing growth from the plants. Her voice soothed the hurt, strengthening his resolve to get back to Florisia and bring back help as soon as possible.
Lyricus and Belle trotted up beside them. “Belle and I have been talking, and we’re thinking maybe we should erect a shield, just in case Serbus has spies out looking for us. I know we’re supposed to be ‘luring him away’ from the community, but I’m not interested in becoming one of those beast’s next meal!”
“Seeing we can both do it now, we thought maybe travelling in pairs for a while might allow us to move at a faster pace. We won’t be able to see each other while we’re travelling, but we’ll meet up for a rest at the shelter where we spent the night. What do you think?”
Raff nodded. “If it means we can travel faster, and avoid drawing attention, I think it’s a great idea.”
Belle smiled. “Ok, so you can travel with me, and Leah can go with Lyricus.” She leaned over and kissed Lyricus on the lips. “Good luck…” she murmured.
Raff and Leah looked at each other and burst out laughing. “It’s good to see you two have finally moved past the formalities,” Leah said, winking at Belle.
Without further ado, Leah leaned over, grabbed Raff’s face and kissed him. When she pulled away, she had a huge smile on her face. She giggled and shrugged. “Well,
like Belle said… it’s a good luck thing.”
Raff knew he had a goofy grin on his face, but he didn’t care. “Hey, I’m not complaining. Any time you feel like throwing some more good luck my way, I promise I won’t argue!”
Leah moved her horse over beside Lyricus. “I’ll keep that in mind. Okay, so we’ll see you on the other side then.” She winked cheekily at Raff as they broke into a canter and vanished.
Belle smiled at him. “Ummm, guess we’d better get going too. You ready?”
Raff nodded, his head still spinning from Leah’s kiss. Suddenly he felt like the king of the world. He nudged his horse into a canter, still grinning as he felt the shield come up around them.
* * *
A familiar howl split the air as Raff and Belle neared the shelter where they were to meet up with Leah and Lyricus. Dread clawed at Raff’s stomach as he booted his horse into a gallop. Belle was right beside him as they raced towards the source of the sound.
He almost vomited when the shelter came into sight. Lyricus and Leah stood back to back, two hell-beasts circling them. Lyricus was swaying on his feet, his knife raised in front of him as the wind whipped around them, holding the beasts back. They were both bleeding badly, and Raff could see the exhaustion in Leah’s face. Her strength was failing, the faltering wind allowing the beasts to inch closer. The creatures looked ready to pounce the instant Leah was spent.
Raff took a deep breath and focused on the scene in front of him. Remembering what Aracus had taught him about conserving his energy, he forged a lightning shaped spear in his mind. Without hesitation, he hurled it into the chest of the closest beast, the impact sending it flying backwards. Its furious screams pierced the air, only to be abruptly cut off as it disappeared.
He turned his attention to the remaining beast, already forging his second weapon in his mind. He watched in horror as Leah’s energy gave out and she crumpled to the ground. The beast howled in victory and leapt towards her. Raff released the bolt of light he’d forged as he urged his horse closer, praying it would work. Time seemed to slow down as the bolt hit the beast in mid-air, the impact severing the creature’s head from its body. He wasn’t sure when the shield had evaporated, but it was gone. He leapt from his horse and raced towards Leah’s crumpled body, terrified they’d arrived too late...
He gathered her into his arms, desperately searching for a pulse as he took in the damage the creature had caused. Her left arm was sliced open from shoulder to wrist, but she was alive! He shuddered at the thought of what would have happened if they hadn’t arrived when they did.
He looked up to find Belle bent over Lyricus’ bloodied body. His heart plummeted at the sound of a muffled sob. “Belle? Is Lyricus…?”
Belle looked up with a watery smile. “It’s okay. He’s alive. Leah?”
“I don’t think her wounds are as bad as Lyricus’. Mostly shock, blood loss and exhaustion. How long must they have been holding them off?”
Belle shook her head and sagged with relief. “I’ll be there as soon as I can.” Her eyes returned to the wound on Lyricus’ chest, her hands glowing as the elf’s torn flesh began to knit itself back together. “The beast only just missed his heart. A little to the left, and he’d have been dead before we got here.”
Lyricus opened his eyes, and smiled up at Belle. “Glad you guys arrived when you did. I dropped the shield when we got here so you’d be able to find us. The beasts must have been waiting. If it wasn’t for Leah calling up the wind, we’d both be dead!” His eyes closed again, but Raff heard him whisper something to Belle before he passed out again. Her face broke into a radiant smile as she moved her hands to begin healing another long jagged tear that ran down the length of his right leg.
A few minutes later, Belle leaned back and sighed, her face a mask of exhaustion. “Okay, that’s all I can do for now. Let’s have a look at Leah.” She moved closer and gasped when she saw the state of Leah’s arm. She took a deep breath, and was soon coaxing the flesh back together.
Raff watched in awe as she worked. “You know you’re amazing right? I don’t know what we’d do without you.”
Belle smiled. “We’re all amazing. And if you hadn’t killed those beasts, my healing skills would have been useless!”
Leah’s eyes fluttered open. “Can you two please stop arguing about who’s the best and get on with it… I’m in pain here!”
Raff smiled. “Sorry we were late…” he whispered.
Leah sighed, and closed her eyes again. “I’ll forgive you… just this once.”
Chapter Sixteen
-Return to Florisia-
Leah’s arm felt like it was on fire. She tried to move it, and almost threw up at the wave of nausea that washed over her. She opened her eyes to dusky light, and wondered if she was dead.
“Hey, how you feeling?” She sighed in relief at the sound of Raff’s voice. At least that meant she was still alive.
Her mouth was so dry she didn’t think she’d be able to speak. “Drink?” she managed.
A gentle hand slipped under her chin, and then the water bottle touched her parched lips. The sensation of the water sliding down her throat was pure bliss, and she whimpered when Raff pulled the bottle away.
“It’s not good for you to have too much too quick. I promise you can have some more soon.”
“Where are we?” Her voice came out harsh and croaky.
“We’re not far from where we found you. We decided it was better if we didn’t hang around, in case anyone or anything else came looking for us. Belle and I managed to get you and Lyricus on our horses, and we walked for about an hour. We figured that would be far enough away to erect a shield, and rest for a few hours.”
“Did you find what was left of our horses?” Leah shuddered, as the image of the beasts slaughtering the horses flashed through her mind.
Raff cleared his throat. “Yep. I’m so sorry we didn’t get there sooner. It must have been horrific.”
“I knew you were coming, but for a while there I didn’t think we’d be able to hold them off long enough. When I saw one with a spear through its chest and the other with no head, I knew it would all be okay. Can I have another drink now… please?”
Raff held the water bottle to her lips, and she gulped down as much as she could before he pulled it away again.
He chuckled. “You are hopeless. I said a little bit!”
She smiled, and closed her eyes again. Maybe if she slept for a while he’d let her have some more. She couldn’t remember ever being so thirsty.
* * *
Leah woke again to the sounds of people moving around. It was still dark, but the first rays of daylight were peeking through the clouds, so she could make out their outlines. The pain in her arm had lessened to a dull ache, and she was definitely ready for another drink.
She used her good arm to push herself up into a sitting position, groaning as her head spun from the effort. She’d expected to be feeling a lot better than this by now. Belle’s healing usually had people back on their feet within hours? Raff was instantly beside her, and she sagged thankfully against him as she waited for the spinning to stop.
Raff brushed the hair back from her face. “Belle said you’ll be feeling a bit weak for a while. You’d lost a lot of blood before we got to you. But we really need to get moving soon. Do you reckon you’ll be up to sitting on a horse?”
She grinned. “Only if I can have some more of that awesome water. How’s Lyricus doing?”
“I’m fine Leah, thanks to you. You were pretty spectacular against those beasts.” She was stunned to see Lyricus up and limping around.
“How come you’re up and walking around already? I’m pretty sure your injuries were worse than mine.”
Lyricus chuckled. “That’s one of the advantages of being an elf. We heal quicker than most.”
Leah groaned and reached for the water bottle Raff was holding. “I knew there was a reason I wanted to be an elf!” she said, before draining th
e bottle and handing it back. “Ok, I’m ready to go now.”
Belle squatted beside her, handing her a peeled orange, and two bread rolls. “The beast severed an artery in your arm, and you lost way too much blood before we got to you. So, even though I’ve healed the wound, your body still needs time to recover. You need to eat to restore your strength. Melinda’s bread rolls are awesome, and there’s plenty more if you want some.”
Leah realised she was starving, and the cheese and herb infused roll was amazing. She devoured it and started on the second, feeling her strength slowly returning. By the time she’d finished the orange she was feeling much better, although she wasn’t looking forward to spending the day in the saddle.
Raff helped a very pale Lyricus onto Belle’s horse. Pain lines were etched into his face, but he managed a smile and assured them he was fine. Leah was shocked by how exhausted Belle looked. The strain of constantly maintaining the shield, and healing her and Lyricus, added to the fact she probably hadn’t slept, was obviously wearing her down. They really were a sorry lot.
Lyricus frowned as he looked at Belle. “I think you should drop the shield for a while. Maintaining it for this long is wearing you out.”
Belle nodded, and the shimmering around them vanished. Leah could see the pink streaks in the sky that heralded daybreak. She shuddered, dreading the day ahead of them. They were still a long way from Florisia.
* * *
They’d been walking for about an hour when the sound of horses approaching made Leah sit bolt upright in the saddle.
“Please tell me that’s good news?” The huge smile on Belle’s face sent relief flooding through her.
“It’s the wild horses, Max and Billy. I thought while the shield was down I’d see if I could locate them. They’re coming to help!”
Valleron (Book 2) Page 8