by Kate Kelley
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.
“Where are my letters?” she growled into his ear. One hand shot up to hold the crook of her elbow, keeping his airway clear. Using his other hand, he grabbed her right thigh above her knee, squeezing her pressure point hard. The pain caused her to slacken her grip, and Terrin bent at the waist, flipping her over and onto her back.
She landed hard, a rush of breath leaving her body. Recovering a few seconds later, Lyra rolled over, her hands sliding in thick mud as she scrambled to her feet. Her new ring glinted in the rain, giving Lyra the push to pursue her target again.
Terrin was through the gate now. No knights stood guard outside. She ran and leapt at him again, but this time Terrin turned just in time, catching her around the waist before falling back into the grass. She lay prone on top of him, her hands around his neck, their wet clothes suctioning to each other.
Her fingers were numbing now. She'd been outside in the cold for too long. Breathing harshly, Lyra let him go and sat up, straddling the man. In an instant, Terrin rolled her over so that she was on her back again, this time under him. He propped himself up on his forearms, his body only lightly touching hers. His hard stare bore into her.
“It’s rude to ignore people,” she gasped, chest heaving. Terrin clenched his jaw, staring at her mouth before dropping to her exposed skin on her midriff.
“You're barely clothed. And your lips are blue. You need to go inside.” Pushing off of her, he yanked her up and pulled her into the castle doors, taking a sharp turn for the stairs. Servants eyed them suspiciously, taking special note of Lyra's revealing clothing. Lyra yanked her arm from his grasp and followed him willingly. They reached the top of the stairs and made their way to her corridor.
“I don't need you to escort me to my room,” she told him.
They reached the end of the hall and Terrin turned toward his room, yanking the door open, and stalking inside.
“Come.”
Lyra swallowed. Unexpected.
She walked into a room twice the size of her own. A fire already blazed in the hearth. Terrin gestured for her to sit in front of it. She gladly accepted, laying down on her side facing the fire, her back to Terrin, reveling in the warmth returning feeling to her skin.
“Talk.” She heard him bark out.
“You stole my letters,” she said into the fire, “The letters Edwin wrote to me. Why?” Rolling over to face him, she watched him peel his soaking shirt off, revealing the gleaming chest and abs she had gotten used to seeing every night for the past two weeks.
He gave her a scowl. “Why do you think it was me?”
Lyra frowned. “Because you don't want me to leave? You even banned ships from traveling between Gem and the Mainland.”
Terrin smirked before hooking his thumbs into his pants and pulling them down.
Lyra gasped, turning her back to him. She got a glimpse of the vee of his lower hips, and a trail of curly hair before she turned.
“For the love of the gods, Terrin. What are you doing?!”
“I’m changing out of my wet clothes. You are in my room,” he stated matter-of-factly.
“You led me here!” Her voice had taken on a shrill tone.
“Do you want to speak to me? Then you do it on my terms. You’re lucky you’re not indicted for treason for attacking your King.”
Lyra rolled her eyes and her tone turned to normal.“You know, for as much as you hate being called royalty, you sure do bring it up a lot.”
“It has its advantages.”
She turned around to face him again. He was reclined on his giant bed, arms behind his head. His hair was brushed back from his face and he wore a pair of fresh black pants, slung low on his hips. His shirt was still missing.
“Like banning ships from entering Gem for no good reason?” she accused.
“Not that you would understand such matters, but I do have a legitimate reason. In the colder months, we stop travel. It’s more dangerous to sail on the waters in the freezing temperatures. Plus we like to stop travel for about six months out of the year, in order to keep Gem and the royal family in privacy and protection. The only ships that are allowed passage are trading ships and the mail carrier.”
“Funny you should mention the mail carrier,” Lyra said blandly.
He sat up abruptly, glaring at her. “I. Didnt. Take. Your. Letters.”
Lyra huffed in exasperation. “Who else would?”
Terrin watched her carefully. “I don’t know. Maybe Edwin was lying to you. Maybe he never returned your letters.”
Lyra shook her head. “No, I sensed the truth in his words.”
She recalled the peace she felt after he had kissed her. Although she knew she didn’t yet feel love for them, the two must be well-suited. She wouldn’t have felt that calm if they weren’t. Even if the kiss did taste faintly of soap.
She peered up at Terrin, thinking. “Persimmon?”
“Oriel would know. Though his assignment wasn’t supposed to last this long.”
Lyra snorted. “He’s making the most out of it.”
“What does that mean?”
Lyra sniffed and she patted her damp clothes. “Well, they used to be lovers, so…”
“How do you know this? Are you also on his list of lovers?” He was laying back again, watching her through hooded eyes, his tone turning dark. Lyra’s jaw dropped.
“No! We’re friends! He told me about them today in the market. He’s learning some things, but he hasn’t told me yet. I can’t believe you would suggest that I..”
Terrin shrugged. “The two of you seem pretty cozy most of the time. And you kissed that one night at dinner. ” His tone exuded boredom.
Lyra shook her head, incredulous. “That was an accident.” Terrin’s expression darkened as she continued, “The kiss you saw today between Edwin and I was only my second proper kiss from him.” Her face flushed a deep red but she refused to back down from his steady gaze.
His face showed no emotion. Lyra broke the staring match by rising to her feet.
“I’m going to change out of these wet clothes. Thank you for the enlightening chat.” She made her way to the door.
“Lyra.” He spoke her name quietly. She turned. He pinned her with his eyes, that pure, striking gray that matched the rumbling skies above and never ceased to alarm her.
“He doesn’t deserve you.”
A chill ripped through Lyra at his words, goosebumps washing over her skin, and she shuddered. Angry tears threatened to fill her eyes. She turned and fled before he could see, locking herself in her room.
✽✽✽
She sat in her room the rest of the day with a book titled Healing Crystals and their Uses she borrowed from the library, poring over the images that matched the gems on her ring. She never knew what most of them were called, as Alec didn’t know either. He probably just found gems and stones that caught his eye. He probably didn’t even realize they were rare and worth money. She knew what some of them were, like rose quartz--the healing stone, emerald--a stone of love, enabling the wearer to express their feelings, amethyst--a highly spiritual crystal, able to make connections from the earth plane to other planes, obsidian--a protective, grounding stone, and moonstone--enhances feminine energies and protects during travels. The other two she didn’t know, but looking at the images in the book, she guessed they were aventurine--a strong earth stone, connecting the body and mind to nature, and aquamarine--a stone of courage, protection, and truth.
It was fascinating to read all the uses of the crystals, and hoped that the ring would prove to be a healing source for her through life.
Glancing at the clock, she sighed. She was waiting on Oriel to come get her for a training session tonight. It was six o’ clock. The seconds were ticking by slowly. Not being able to stand it anymore, she sn
apped the book closed and left her hovel. Passing Terrin’s door, she briefly wondered if he was still in there.
What does it matter? She chided herself.
She made her way down the hallway and down the staircase. She thought about waiting outside for him, but decided to turn toward the throne room, thinking Oriel would meet her there via portal.
Making her way down the lonely corridor, she thought she heard something around the curve in the channel. A hushed voice. She slowed, using stealthy footfalls she learned in training. She stopped right before the curve, flattening herself against the chilled stone. The voices came clearly now. A woman was whispering harshly.
“If I hear you degrade my father like that again, I’ll slice you in two. You are but a lowly servant and you live to serve me. You’ve had no other purpose in this entire world from the moment you were born. You’ll do as I say, when I command it. Until the day you die. Now, come.”
Lyra’s curiosity had a tight hold on her now. Feigning innocence, Lyra backed up a few paces and strolled forward casually. She bumped right into Poppi. Her eyes widened at who she was with.
“Princess Navi,” Lyra murmured, bowing. She glanced to Poppi’s horrified face, a gray sheen washing over it. Lyra clenched her jaw, rage pumping into her veins for Poppi.
So this was her former mistress--or current mistress. It sounded like she had the girl enslaved. She knew Navi was a bitch, but this was beyond petty meanness. This was heinous. She longed to hurt the skinny red-head. Her hands clenched into fists, her nails biting into her palms. She felt her aura rising and churning.
Poppi gave her a barely imperceptible shake of the head as if she knew the direction of her thoughts. The pleading look in Poppi’s eyes was the only thing that prevented Lyra from hurting the princess. Confused, Lyra heeded her warning and lowered her aura. Navi scoffed, looking down her nose at Lyra.
“The King’s plaything dares to speak my name. Well, no matter. I’m as good as Queen now in this land and I’ll have you shipped off back from the dirt hole you crawled out of soon enough, if you're lucky. Poppi, come.”
Ignoring the bitch, Lyra trained her eyes on Poppi, silently begging her to understand, vowing that she would help her soon. To her astonishment, Poppi nodded, before turning and following Princess Navi down the hallway.
Lyra was going to speak to Terrin about this woman. She was pure evil, and Terrin had no business making her Queen. She longed to follow them and pull Poppi from the witch now, but she knew she couldn’t. Poppi had a reason for telling her to wait. She had to trust her.
Chapter 19
The loud click of boots echoed off the the stone walls, and Lyra thought they were returning, but instead Oriel made his way toward her. She breathed a sigh of relief.
“Lyra! I’ve been looking for you. Are you alright?”
“Yes,” Lyra answered, distracted, “I’m ready for my lesson.”
Oriel frowned. “Are you sure you’re alright? I was going to ask if you wanted to dine with me first.”
Lyra was staring down the corridor where Poppi and Navi had disappeared. Her head snapped back to Oriel. “I’m sorry. What? Food. Okay.”
Oriel waved a hand in front of her face. “You sure you’re alright?” he asked again skeptically.
Lyra blinked and rubbed a hand over her face. “Yes, just tired. Let’s go.”
She gave him a smile to reassure him. She really was glad to see him. Oriel smiled back, though doubt lingered in his eyes. He took her hand. “I have a lot to tell you but I thought we’d wait for Terrin--what’s this?”
He stopped, holding her finger that was adorned with her new ring.
“It’s, um--”
“Did you buy this at market today? It’s extraordinary. I don’t think I’ve seen these particular stones put together before. Some of these are exceedingly rare. Who was the vendor? He must have traveled around the world for such treasures. Not to mention the cost..” He looked back up to her face, alarmed. Lyra pulled her hand back, suddenly shy.
“I’m betrothed to Edwin. He gave me this ring today.” Oriel’s face slackened. When he didn’t respond, Lyra felt her face redden.
“You don’t approve?” She asked, walking past him.
He caught up to her. “Did he propose in a letter?”
“No, he came to see me today, much to the outrage of Terrin, I might add. He came illegally--to rescue me--as ships are banned from traveling here. It was perfect, the whole thing. The proposal, the ring, the kiss..”
Oriel's face became guarded and he didn't respond.
Lyra scoffed. “Why does everyone think they get to have an opinion on how I live my life?” She turned to leave.
Oriel grabbed her arm, stopping her. “I just want you to be happy. Live the best life for yourself. Are you sure Edwin can provide that for you?”
She glared at him and then a thought occurred to her.
“Did you take my letters? The letters Edwin sent me, they were intercepted. Did you do it?” She waited, hands on her hips.
Oriel stared incredulously at her. “Of course not, Lyra. I would never do such a thing. I care deeply about you, in a way I never thought I could.”
“I'm sorry. I know it wasn't you. But--who else would it be?” Lyra sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose.
“You’re always looking for someone to blame for your problems,” Oriel said softly, hurt filling his eyes. “Stop playing the victim in every facet of your life, Lyra.”
Lyra flinched. Well, that stung.
“Suddenly I’m not hungry,” she grumbled, walking past him again. She half-expected him to grab her arm again, and she didn’t know why she was so disappointed when he didn’t.
“I’ll be in the throne room in an hour for our lesson,” he called after her angrily. She ignored him, keeping a steady pace until she wound up the staircase again and arrived at her room.
Every friend she had made was being ripped away from her, and despite the loneliness, she just wanted to be alone. Opening the door with a loud creak, Lyra stomped in, and began pacing the room. Today had been too much. Her aura was a tight ball in her chest.
Why did everyone have an opinion on who I married? It’s my life!
She seethed, making an invisible path from wall to wall. Suddenly, something she didn’t recognize took over her vision. On her bed lay a pile of papers. Her blood ran cold. Crossing to the bed, she sifted through them.
Edwin’s letters. They were all here, thirty letters, all opened. But who had left them here? At the bottom of the pile lay a different letter- one that wasn’t in an envelope. A few words were scribbled in sloping letters.
Dear Lyra,
I’m sorry I took your letters. One day I hope to explain everything to you. To make it up to you, please accept this token of my friendship. I have carried it around with me for years. It’s something I hold dear, but I want you to have it.
I hope you find it in yourself to forgive me someday.
Yours,
Poppi
Lyra read over the words again, shock coursing through her. Looking down at the bed again, her eyes landed on a small lumpy shape wrapped in brown paper. She tore it open to reveal the single most beautiful pendant she had ever laid eyes on.
“Oh, Poppi,” she sighed, turning it over and smoothing her thumb over the gemstone. The pendant itself was a simple thin chain, but the gemstone it held was extraordinary. About the size of her thumb, it’s highly colored pigment shone opaquely with mostly blues and greens, reminding her of earth's landscape . But when it caught the light, flashes of violet, orange, red and gold shone through. It reminded her of a dragonfly’s wings, the way it revealed such an array of colors in the iridescence of light. Fine cracks spread throughout the gem, giving it an ancient quality. It was breathtaking. She wondered what it was called.
Opening her book of crystals, she thumbed through the pages, searching for a painting that looked like the pendant stone. She found none.
O
riel would know.
The thought annoyed her. She didn’t want to see him. But her curiosity was eating at her. And he had said he was still planning to train her tonight.
She decided to set aside her pride and go see him. Gathering Edwin’s letters and stuffing them into her desk drawer, she promised to read them all tonight when she got back. She then changed into her training outfit--the far less revealing one--and put the pendant safely in her pocket as she headed out the door.
✽✽✽
Oriel was waiting for her just outside the throne room, leaning casually on the doors as if he hadn’t a care in the world. As if he knew she would come. He smiled at her, the wide grin stretching his face and revealing his dimple. She couldn’t stay mad at that face.
“Are you ready?” he asked, opening the doors and walking inside.
“I suppose,” she mumbled, following him. Once inside the portal door, Oriel hugged her close, gently. She laid her head on his chest and breathed a sigh. Despite her annoyance with him, she couldn’t deny the comfort she felt with him. He kissed the top of her head, holding her close. Suddenly all was right with the world. Then he placed her hand on the obsidian, his over top, and together they traveled.
Shooting stars sped past Lyra as she rocketed into ghostly space, and landed a moment later in the familiar clearing. She bent at the knees, absorbing the impact of the landing. She had become a professional at portal traveling.
Oriel nodded, clearly impressed at her finesse.
“Today I want to start with a particularly healing and grounding crystal--aventurine. You actually have the gem on your ring, but I brought another to work with as well. The smallness of the gem in your ring might not be enough to work your aura.”
Lyra nodded. “I read about that one. Aventurine. That’s the one that bridges the gap between earth and ethereal plans, correct?”
“Close. This one grounds you and lets you use the earth to heal. It can help you tap into the fine vibrations in the earth to heal and strengthen your body and mind.” Oriel pulled a beige handkerchief from his pocket and unwrapped it to reveal the stone. It was small, roughly cut, and dull. It was somewhere between the color of emerald and seafoam green. She glanced at her ring. It was the sixth gemstone in the set. Suddenly she remembered her pendant.