Oriana's Eyes

by Celeste Simone

  “I can see you remember me.”

  Odon holds me in place, keeping me from answering. Somehow his inner control of me has strengthened, and I am powerless inside my own body, unable to move.

  “So you’ve figured out my name as well. Impressive.” He smirks and starts pacing around the room toward the windows to his left. As he walks in front of the light pouring through the windows, I can see it, the aura of his power coiling around his body. The power of a half-blood.

  “But then I thought you would’ve figured it out long before now. After all, I’ve been following you for days. Have you been sleeping well?.”

  I cringe inwardly, and he chuckles. He is seeing straight into my thoughts!

  “Yes … although things didn’t go exactly as planned. That half-blood … he’s more powerful than I expected. Nowhere near myself, of course, but powerful nonetheless. If he hadn’t been so close to you … I would’ve already discovered the whereabouts of the Great Oak.”

  Then he knows it exists, and he already knows of Dorian being a half-blood. I shut my mind off to it immediately, sensing his gaze upon me, not just from within the room, but inside my mind as well.

  “You can try as much as you like. Now that I have you here, it will not be long before I have exposed your mind completely.”

  Without Dorian near to help shield me from Odon’s power, I am helpless. But then how was I able to break free, to awaken myself just now? And if Odon could simply take what he wanted from me, why is he waiting? Why not extract it at once? Perhaps I still have some hidden advantage.

  Odon turns his stare out the window and casually waves his hand backward in my direction. My body is released suddenly, and I am able to move once again.

  “Why have you brought me here?” I rise to my feet, attempting to look confident, but my knees threaten to buckle beneath me. I, Oriana, am facing Odon, not only a man twice my size, but one who possesses the ripened powers of a transformed half-blood. Not long ago I would have bowed before him, pledged my devotion to his authority, but never again.

  He eyes me with amusement. “I’ve been watching you, Oriana.”

  My eyebrow rises. “For how long …?”

  “Since before you ever met that foolish half-blood. You must have known that you stand out among the others. You were never able to achieve the perfection of that blank look.” He smiles to himself as if this is a humorous subject.

  “Then you knew I was never devoted to you like the others. You knew all along I thought against the University.”

  “Oh please, it was obvious. Did you honestly think I wouldn’t notice a Winglet girl making trips to the garden every evening? I could tell your mind was working beneath that rush of gold, behind those starlit eyes. You truly resemble your mother Sonya very much. It’s a shame I had to end her life like that. If you weren’t so amusing, I would’ve destroyed you from the start, but you never had the backbone to act upon your thoughts anyway. Even now you stand there, a fragile flower.” Odon looks me up and down with a disgusted glint in his eyes.

  “Then you were toying with me?” My fists tighten. My jaw is clenched. I am a fool; I knew it all along—a cowardly fool.

  “Well, the rest of the bunch aren’t very entertaining, are they?” He pushes fingers through his slick black hair, laughing softly. “Yet there was a slight interference, though I couldn’t have planned it better myself. Dorian, the last half-bloodlet, took an interest in you. You suddenly became the perfect ploy. I knew I was keeping you around for something. I still can’t wait to watch him squirm.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Why, at the Rebirth, of course. I’m sure he wouldn’t miss it, especially now that I have you here,” Odon studies me as his words hit home.

  Can he possibly know? That Dorian and the others are planning to sneak into the Rebirth and attempt to defeat him? But then why shouldn’t he? Odon was there when Kadin carried out his attack. If Odon is aware of Dorian’s age and lineage, then he could expect a similar assault from him.

  “Your face confirms my assumptions. They will make an appearance at the Rebirth, but then I had already presumed. Doesn’t matter anyway, I was suspecting a second attack, seeing how the last one went unsuccessfully.” He shakes his head in pity. “The fool, turning on his own men, although I can’t blame him. Who would want to share power like this? Do you think Dorian will be any different? You think somehow he will get past his hatred, his thirst for power? I guess that’s what keeps you people hopeful, the idea of reachable dreams.” Odon approaches the edge of the floor where I lie below. “It’s useless. The true winners are the ones with the power. Once Dorian realizes that, once he feels it in his grasp”—Odon holds out his hand, staring into it as if it were a fountain of endless energy—“he’ll forget all about you and his friends.”

  “You’re wrong.” I quake with anger from his words. “Dorian will succeed. He’s going to be the most powerful of all, and he’ll use it just to kill you!” I spit out the statement before considering my intentions. Is that really what I want? Is that really how I feel?

  “The way you killed Aurek?” Odon’s smile broadens as I am slowly brought to my knees. That’s right, I killed him, in the garden last night. Aurek is dead, and I am the one who ended his life. Somehow I was capable of such an execution.

  I shake my head, staring at my outstretched hands, the same ones that have caused destruction. How can I ever face the others again? What will they think of me? What will Dorian think? “But it was only an accident! I didn’t mean to …”

  “Didn’t you?” Odon’s eyes blaze with innocence, as if he is simply providing the truth. “You hated Aurek from the beginning. I saw your memories … I heard your thoughts, felt those emotions of repulsion. You thought he’d be better off dead!”

  “No! I never wanted it … really!” I sob into my hands, still resisting the truth of his words. I wished Aurek would disappear, leave forever, but death? “I didn’t want this … never …” My tears form dark spots upon the white cushions below.

  Odon is beside me, his hand upon my shoulder. “Little Winglet.” His voice is soothing, his hand warm. I feel the pulse of the power reaching out through it and coursing beneath my skin. My body stills, my tears stop, I lose all emotion, all feeling. In fact I can hardly remember what I was crying about. “He deserved what he got.”

  Oh yes, Aurek … I was crying over Aurek.

  “For what he did to you, any man would deserve the same fate.”

  I nod as he lifts my chin with fingers that cause my skin to flinch. Our gazes meet, his eyes so blue the color seems to pour right through me. His face that of a man with great force, a ruler’s face.

  “Oriana, now you must sleep, sleep and relax your mind.” He is close to me now, our noses nearly touching. I feel his breath against my lips, but I want to back away, to keep him from moving toward me. His eyes flash with the slightest alarm. His eyebrow twitches slightly. “Oriana.” His voice is sterner, more demanding. “You will sleep.” Odon’s eyes drive further into my own, and I plummet backward, submerging into my subconscious.

  I am following Dorian through the forest. The path is so familiar, the forest a friendly acquaintance. I am nearly home, journeying back to the Great Oak. We pass the fruit trees, the clearing, swiftly sailing over the rise and fall of the lush landscape. I am eager to reach her, the Oak, to grasp onto the endless ladder that once frightened me. Now it is a welcome ascent, each rung bringing me further into the Great Oak’s arms, pulling me upward toward the sky where I can scan the horizon of endless trees and the sun setting over the sliver of ocean. Dorian takes my hand and pulls me forward. I see the back of his head, the flow of hair blacker than the night. I notice a familiar opening in the trees ahead, and he guides me toward it.

  I wish to slow down, to appreciate the beauty of the forest around us. To listen to the calls of the birds, it is so fulfilling to be back. To be back? Have I left? I remember leaving, but—

  Dori
an jerks at my arm, but he does not turn to see why my pace has slowed. Instead he shakes my attention back to the foliage ahead. Why doesn’t he glance back at me?

  We finally reach it, the base of the hill on which the Great Oak stands. Dorian has taken an even faster pace, and I move into a jog to keep up. It’s all right. I am not tired; in fact, I do not feel a strain on my legs at all. We make it to the top, and I see her, the Great Oak. Rising up above the forest canopy, shadowing all other growth around her. She is truly a sight of greatness.

  I search for Dorian, as we are no longer hand in hand. I find him standing a short distance away, standing by the base of the Great Oak, gazing up through the infinite branches above. Placing my hand against his shoulder I attempt to speak his name. No sound escapes me. I wrap my hands around my head, screaming for Dorian’s help, feeling as though I am being suffocated by my own words. Dorian whirls around to face me, and I see that I have been terribly mistaken.

  It is Odon I see, the malignant grin already formed upon his face. He begins to laugh, spreading his arms wide enough to encompass the entire tree. His laughter surrounds me, the image of the Great Oak shrinking away as his face fades until only his eyes remain, swallowing up the forest, slicing through the Oak’s roots, and sending her crumbling to the ground. It is only when his eyes close into blackness that I hear my scream, my body wrenching in horror at what I have done. He has tricked me! Deceived me into showing him the way to the Great Oak!

  I recoil inward, unable to hold onto my sanity. I feel as though I might die from grief and shame. A dark liquid rises around me, I swallow its thickness, it leaks into my eyes. I sink deeper and deeper, losing any desire to fight against it. My arms float above me, although I have no arms in this place. I have given up, when something grabs me … hauls me upward and out of the pool.

  “Dorian …” I am somewhere else, a place of peace and tranquility. He stands before me, his hand still holding mine. I can see his face now, the sapphire eyes, his kind smile.

  “Oriana, I thought I had lost you.” He moves toward me, grasping my waist. “Somehow I found you … wherever we are …” He looks around at the endless darkness. Suddenly the world begins to change. Four walls of greenery rise around us, flowers sprout among flat stones that form a pathway. We are in the garden from the University, and yet this one, that Dorian has created for us alone, is far more beautiful.

  I smile, wondering how I could’ve ever given up, and then I remember. Despite his glow of happiness overwhelming me, I remember. “Dorian, there is no time. I must tell you …” I feel something or someone approaching. I don’t have much more time unwatched. “I can’t tell you how sorry I am.” Dorian searches my eyes with growing concern.

  “Dorian … he … Odon knows where the Great Oak is! He’s going to seek you out! You must tell the others, protect them!”

  “But that’s impossible … how could he …?”

  “It was me, it was all my fault. I—” I feel myself sinking again, but this time Dorian brings me back. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to.” The image pulls away, Dorian’s touch retreats, our bodies separate. I am rising back into my body, into consciousness. I only hope Dorian will heed my message. If anyone else were to die because of my mistakes … I open my eyes in time to feel the shudder pass over my physical form.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

  The orb lights above me glow dimly. It is late in the evening as I reposition myself on the white cushions. I can’t get comfortable no matter how I try. My mind keeps returning to the Great Oak and the safety of everyone there. Did I actually speak with Dorian? Or was it merely a dream? Another of Odon’s tricks? And if it wasn’t, did Dorian believe me? Did he have enough time to warn the others?

  Every inhaled breath brings a twisting pain in my stomach that refuses to go away. I hold my breath, tightening my stomach and then releasing the air slowly. The result is a moment of relief before the knot retightens within my gut and the memories replay in my mind.

  I look up at the oval door across the room. I get to my feet and climb onto the upper floor, still eyeing the door. I glance backward. Could Odon be watching me? I wouldn’t be surprised, and yet I have to try. I cover the distance to the door and press my hands against it. There is no handle and merely a narrow slit around its edges. After this waste of time, I retreat to the center of the room.

  I fall back onto the cushions, sighing openly. The weight of something hard strikes me as I bounce against the pillows. I search my pocket, finding a small piece of bread and Narena’s journal. I chew the bread, which crumbles in my mouth, but at least it fills my stomach.

  I adjust my position and open the journal, hoping to find some strand of inspiration within it. My eyes rest upon a page addressed to Dorian.

  My son, every day seems to bring further hardships, greater sorrows. You have not yet entered this world, and sometimes I wonder if it is selfish of me to want you to. I feel your heartbeat inside me, the movement of your infant limbs. Your father is so proud. He wants to see you too, but I am frightened. I never thought I would admit that, but I am. Now that you’re here, I am afraid for you, for the future of our world. They say you will be our only hope. I’d rather not say where that path has led others before you. I have lost many friends to this talk of destiny. Somehow I believe you will not follow the same path as those of the past, but I fear in time you may lose your way. It is why I have decided to write this journal, because one day I might not be by your side. One day the weight of fear and anger may overpower you. Dorian, you must admit your fears, your mistakes, it is what separates us from the corrupt. Whatever should happen to your father or me, remember this, if ever you should stray, your only way back is through the eyes of the one who truly loves you.

  I shut the book, a shiver passing over me. There is something about those last words that lingers in my mind. Is this information some sort of key for the future? I close the book, feeling satisfied with the passage I have discovered. Placing it inside the satchel, I reach for the canteen that still contains some water. In a few minutes I have finished the rest of the loaf and half drained the canteen. As I am replacing my things inside the bag, the oval door opens. The Odonian enters, a snivel of recognition on his face as he eyes me.

  “What do you want?” I ask.

  “Master Odon has asked me to check on you. You appear in good health,” he states, sizing me up with distaste.

  “That’s a matter of opinion.” I snort.

  “You’d be wise to hold your tongue and recognize your place.” The Odonian moves to let the door shut behind him.

  “Where might that be?”

  The Odonian smirks, watching me from the upper level of flooring, “Below me.”

  I burn with rage.

  “Control yourself!” he commands and then considers before explaining. “If that simple statement has brought such emotion, then you will most certainly be moved by my further bit of insight.”

  I take a breath, holding back my temper and returning to my instincts as a University student, “And what’s that?”

  “News of the Great Oak.”

  I am completely silent, straining for him to continue.

  “Odon’s men have already been sent. In fact, they have probably already done their damage. I wouldn’t be surprise if the whole place is burning to the ground at this moment,” he adds casually.

  “You’re lying!”

  “You know it to be true. It was you who revealed its location. Foolish Winglet.”

  “I didn’t know … how could I … it was a mis—”

  “Mistake?” He shakes his head as if I were a misbehaving child. “You’ve been making a lot of those lately, haven’t you?”

  I clench my fists, a growl rising in my throat. It is all I can do to keep from lunging at his hideous form. The wraith of a body and featureless face, skeletal in every way save for the streak of blond hair upon his head. It hangs lifelessly to one side like a withered blossom.

&
nbsp; I must not let my anger control me. Narena is right, and I’ve experienced it firsthand. I must not resort to anger and give him the upper hand. Yet I’m finding it increasingly difficult, given the situation.

  “I can just picture your half-blood burning alive. His lasting memory of your betrayal. Now no one can save you, Odon will live on, and the University will prevail.” His smile is the rictus of a feasting maggot.

  “You’d rather Odon win? And I’m the one who’s foolish? You’re just a slave to him! You’re too stupid to realize that! You’re worse than I could ever be!” I jab my finger toward him. I await in pure delight the look of injury upon his face.

  But it never shows. The Odonian’s pale eyes look upon me slyly, that slimy smile still wriggling on his face. “Oh, but you are … haven’t you figured that out yet? I should think you might have surmised …” His laugh hisses in my ears.

  “What … what did you say?”

  “What do you think that scar on your neck is from?”

  I reach to brush my fingers against it, recalling the memory of the painful injection. It is still sore to touch. “What is it?” I know I will regret asking.

  “You’re one of us now.”

  “One of—”

  “Little Winglet, you are an Odonian.” In the end he wins, exulting in my stunned stare and then turning and walking out of the room.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

  My first reaction is to deny it. How could I be one of them? One of Odon’s mindless servants? I’m not an Odonian, my name is Oriana, I am myself! How can that be taken away?

  Yet something did happen in Odon’s cave, they put something in my neck. Not only that. I’ve seen Odon and witnessed his power firsthand. He was able to control my body and kept me from moving. What would stop him from making me a mindless servant?

  I shudder. This whole time I thought I was free of him. I believed the Great Oak was a sanctuary, a place where I was safe, where no one was watching. It was never true. Odon was in my head even then, invading my mind. When Dorian came for me, he didn’t save me at all. They had known he would come for me and bring me to the Great Oak. If it hadn’t been for Dorian’s power, Odon would have read my mind and found its location a long time ago. That must have been his original plan.