Crystal Heart

by Whitney Morris

  “What on earth was that?” I asked.

  “Your new fans,” Greg replied. “We could try one of the other exits.”

  “Master Gregory, the building is surrounded,” said a member of staff. “Extra guards have been called for.”

  “I guess I’m trapped in here.” At least my prison was nice. There were worse places I could have been trapped, and at least I wasn’t alone.

  Greg took my hand. “Come on. I have an idea.”

  He led me through a maze of corridors and up flight after flight of stairs. His idea seemed to consist of exhausting me. The seemingly never-ending stairs finally led to a big wooden door. We walked out onto the roof.

  “We can’t tour the city, but you can get a pretty good view of it up here,” Greg said.

  The cold air pricked my cheeks. Blue sky stretched above us. We made our way to the edge of the roof. There was a metal railing going all the way around. I took in a sharp breath. The view was stunning. I could see for miles. The city buzzed with life beneath us. “This is more than pretty good.”

  “And do you feel that?”

  “What?”

  “The darkness is gone.”

  He was right. The horrible presence that had made me feel sick was gone. The air was clear, and I could breathe easy. No wonder these people were so happy. I squeezed Greg’s hand. “Thank you for bringing me here.”

  “This is also a good place to talk about things that are bothering you,” he said.

  “I don’t know what you mean.”

  “Why did you ask if the crystal can communicate?”

  I looked at the floor. “It doesn’t matter.”

  “Mellissa, let me help you.”

  Matt had told me to keep my dreams a secret, especially from Greg, but where was he now? I thought I’d figured something out about the dreams, and the only other person that knew about them was nowhere to be seen.

  “Okay, this might sound crazy, but I think the Heart Crystal is trying to tell me something in my dreams by showing me things in Freya’s life. I was having this recurring dream about a flying guy, a tree, and being stabbed. I thought it was a nightmare, but then I met you, and Freya’s fight with Kadon sounded just like my dream. Then my dreams changed, but they were still all about Freya.”

  Greg looked into the distance. “Some say the Heart Crystal takes an imprint of every keeper and records everything that happens around it. I don’t know if that’s true, but if it is, I don’t see why it wouldn’t be able to pass those recordings on. But you said you were having these dreams before you met me?”

  “Yes, but I can’t say for how long. Do you think it’s possible that from the moment you crossed the veil, the crystal began calling out to me, but the only way it could communicate with me was when my conscious mind was asleep?”

  “Anything’s possible when it comes to a life crystal. There is still so much we don’t know about them. No one has met a crystal keeper in thousands of years—until you.” He gave me a smile that made my heart flutter. I hadn’t realised how much I would miss all his explanations about magic until that moment. Greg patted my shoulder. “Maybe it’s something we can look into when we get you home, along with all the other training I have planned for you.”

  I shook my head. “What do you mean training? I thought—”

  “You thought because you’re all the talk on this side of the veil that you didn’t have to train anymore?”

  “No, it’s just…You’re coming back with us?”

  “That’s not a problem, is it?”

  I squealed as I threw my arms around his neck, almost knocking him over. I could have burst with excitement.

  “Well, don’t you two look comfortable.” Victoria stood in the doorway, eyebrow raised.

  We both jumped. “Victoria, you scared me half to death,” I said.

  She folded her arms. “I assume Her Royal Highness is fit and healthy.”

  Greg nodded. “She is fully recovered.”

  “Great. Now back to our room so I can turn this mess into a princess.” She grabbed my arm and pulled me away from Greg.

  I tried to free my arm. “Hey, don’t I get a say in this?”

  Victoria tightened her grip and pulled me through the door. “Oh, come on. You will see him at the ball.”

  I caught Greg’s eye from the door. “Help me,” I mouthed.

  “Have fun you two, and I’ll see you later,” Greg said.

  “Traitor,” I shouted.

  He winked as I was pulled away. Victoria didn’t let go of me until we were back in our room.

  “I assume you didn’t have that bath,” Victoria said. I shook my head. She marched into the bathroom. “What the hell happened in here? You know what? I don’t need to know.” After some loud banging, I heard water running in the bathroom. There were a few more bangs, then Victoria popped her head round the door. “Come on, then.”

  I walked into the bathroom and was shocked into silence. The room sparkled. There was no evidence that I had ever flooded the place. The tub was filled with bubbles and what looked like lavender. A cold shiver shot threw me as Victoria started to pulled my clothes off. I grabbed my top back. “I can undress myself.”

  “Well, you were just standing there, and I thought maybe you’d watched one to many of those shows with queens and princesses with personal handmaidens.”

  “I was just amazed at how you fixed all the mess.”

  “I have some magical skills other than freezing things. Now, get in the bath already.”

  “Are you not leaving?”

  She rolled her eyes. “You are such a prude. How about I go get the fancy shampoo I bought from some witch today while you hide yourself under the bubbles.”

  Victoria walked out. I quickly finished getting undressed and submerged myself in the water. The warm bath felt so good. I stretched my body out in the tub and laid my head on the edge of the bath. Victoria came back in carrying a bunch of toiletries. As she laid things out, she nattered away about how amazing the party preparations looked. She walked over with two bottles and poured them on my head.

  “What is that?” I asked.

  “It’s a special formula to make you hair super soft, add shine and give your curls a nice bounce.” Victoria massaged the stuff through my hair. It felt really nice having someone wash my hair for me, and I began to relax.

  Once I was clean, Victoria grabbed me a bathrobe out of a cupboard. I wrapped myself up with it. Victoria plopped a towel on my head and dragged me out of the bathroom. She sat me down at the dressing table, where she had laid out loads of different hair products and makeup. Victoria had a field day playing with my hair. I lost count of all the different products she used on my head. My hair was tugged about, pulled up, down and all over the place. Finally, Victoria wrapped my hair up on the top of my head in a bun, leaving a few curls hanging loose around my face. She did my makeup and then pulled a big box out of the wardrobe. Inside was a beautiful, dark green gown with a satin train that looked like it had stars woven into it.

  “What do you think? According to Flopsey, dark green is the colour of elf royalty.”

  I ran my hand over the dress. The fabric was smooth. “It’s stunning. I can’t wear that. It’s way too nice.”

  “You can, and you will. Do not make me have to force you into this dress.”

  No way was I going to get into a fight with Victoria, so I slipped the dress on. I hadn’t realised how exposed my back would be by the U-shaped cutout, but the dress felt amazing. The fabric glided over my body. The straps were held together by two gold hoops at the top. It fit like a glove. How had she managed to get a dress so exact to my size?

  “Oh, it looks even better on,” Victoria said. “I have such amazing taste. It hugs your curves perfectly. Oh, I almost forgot the shoes.” She ran over to the wardrobe and pulled out a bag. How much shopping had she done, and where had the money come from? “I know you can’t walk in heels, so I got you some cute sandals.” She pulle
d a pair of gold strappy sandals out and handed them to me.

  “Thanks,” I said.

  “No problem. Now, it’s my turn to get ready.” She grabbed a few things off the dresser and went into the bathroom. Of course she got privacy when it was her turn to get ready. I looked in the mirror. Victoria had done a really good job. I hardly recognised myself. The dress was something I never would have chosen, but it was beautiful.

  Victoria put her arm round me. “Don’t we look gorgeous?”

  “How?” I asked. “I mean, when? You look amazing, but you just went in there.”

  She was wearing a full face of makeup. Her long, blonde hair had been artfully twisted around to the side and rested on her left shoulder. She wore a black dress that sparkled like the night sky. The front reached her knees, but the back was floor-length. I felt like an ugly duckling next to her.

  “I’ve had practice getting ready quick. We look so good. Everyone is going to want to dance with us,” she said.

  “Dance! You never said there would be dancing.”

  “It’s a ball, Mellissa. Of course, there will be dancing. I didn’t think I would have to tell you that.”

  “Victoria, you know I can’t dance.”

  “True.” She held her hands out. “Come here. We have time. I’ll give you a quick lesson.”

  I scrunched up my face. She knew too well how bad I was at dancing. She had made fun of me about it plenty of times, but now she was offering help. I took her hands. “Fine.”

  Victoria pulled me toward her. “Okay, stand up straight, shoulders back. One hand on my shoulder and the other in mine.” She put my hands in position. “Your partner should have their hand on your lower back, but if it wanders too low, feel free to knee them in the groin. Now, try to keep looking at your partner. If you really can’t stand looking at them, then over their shoulder—or in your case, at the shoulder. Just don’t look at your feet or the floor. Usually the male leads, so all you have to do is follow. As I lean forward, you go back. Ready?” I nodded. Victoria moved, and I head-butted her shoulder as she kicked my shin.

  “You were meant to move,” she shouted, “not stand there like a statue.” She scowled at me. “Let’s try again, and this time move your feet.”

  We went over the basic steps a few times. Victoria kept moaning. Apparently, I was too stiff. After a few mishaps, we managed to do one full turn of the room. It would have to do. I just hoped no one asked me to dance. There was a knock at the door. Victoria answered it.

  “Samson,” she said.

  He bowed. “I have come to escort Lady Mellissa Hail and her guardians to the ball.”

  “Time to go, Mellissa,” Victoria called.

  “What about Matt?”

  “I don’t know. I couldn’t find him earlier, so I gave up. I’m sure he will have made his own way to the ball.”

  Victoria linked arms with me, and we followed Samson. Even Victoria didn’t know what Matt was doing. His absence was really starting to worry me. We made our way downstairs. Samson led us to a pair of giant double doors. He opened them, and the room went silent. All eyes were on me. I froze on the spot. Victoria dragged me into the room.

  Samson stepped forward. “I present to you, Lady Mellissa Hail, keeper of the Heart Crystal, and her guardian, Miss Victoria Street.”

  Samson had this whole announcing thing down pretty well. His voice was loud, clear, and carried far. The whole room bowed to us. My face heated. As they all rose, a man in a smart black suit stepped away from the crowd. It was Lord Steffen.

  He greeted us and led us both through the room. As we walked, people kept putting their hands out to touch me, praising me. I smiled awkwardly and tried to stay calm. If Victoria wasn’t holding on to me so tightly, I probably would have run back to our room. Lord Steffen led me over to what looked like the head table and left me next to Lady Gabrielle. No longer was she in her robes. Instead, she wore a long black dress that showed off her feminine figure. She seemed more relaxed than before, but still intimidating. Lord Steffen then led Victoria to the end of the table, where Matt stood. My whole body went tense. I didn’t want her to leave me. Lady Gabrielle tapped a champagne flute in her hand. Everyone went silent and turned their attention to her.

  “We are all here to honour the great accomplishment of Lady Mellissa Hail, keeper of the Heart Crystal, and her guardians.” She gestured her glass toward me and then to Matt and Victoria. “We can rejoice in the knowledge that Kadon has been resealed, and his darkness shall no longer be plaguing us. Let us celebrate the fact that the Heart Crystal has been reactivated and shall bring peace to the land. A toast to the future elf queen.”

  Everyone raised their glasses and toasted me—the future elf queen. I gulped and forced a smile. Lady Gabrielle gestured for me to sit. Once I was sat, everyone followed suit. This was all so weird. I had never been to an event like this, and it was all based around me.

  Trays of food were brought out and drinks passed round. The smell of freshly roasted chicken struck me, causing my tummy to rumble. I fiddled with a napkin. I needed to push my worries to the side. For now, I would enjoy the meal. After all, the whole purpose of this banquet was to honour me, and I hadn’t eaten since this morning. The meal was amazing, tender chicken, crisp roast potatoes, sweet carrots and parsnip, smothered in a sweet gravy. Lady Gabrielle didn’t press me with hard questions. She mainly asked simple things about my family and what it was like on the other side of the veil—all things I could easily answer. She wasn’t as scary as I’d originally thought.

  Once the meal was over, Lady Gabrielle led me to another room that had a dance floor and music playing. There was a dessert table full of different sweet treats. There was ice cream, cookies, cakes, and jellies. A chocolate fountain was at the centre of the table. Everything looked really tasty. This room was decorated with pink and white streamers. Pink balloons floated above us. Lady Gabrielle went around, introducing me to all the council members and then to all her staff. Lots of people had questions for me and wanted to thank me once again. I went around with a smile plastered on my face and answered their questions the best I could, accepting their thanks. I don’t think my version of events was quite as exciting as they were hoping, but nonetheless, they were still happy to hear my story.

  I slid away the first chance I got and rubbed the sides of my jaw. After hours of forcing a smile, my jaw ached. I searched for my guardians. Spotting Matt, I practically ran across the ballroom.

  “Matt, I’m so glad you’re okay.” I squished him with a hug. He stiffened in my arms, patting my back awkwardly.

  “And I am also delighted you are in good health, Mellissa,” he replied sounding really formal.

  “Why are you talking like that?”

  “Whatever do you mean? I always talk like this. Anyway, I have some adoring fans over there waiting for me.” He pointed at a group of girls. “I must dash. There are so many girls that want to dance with me and so little time.”

  He swayed off, leaving me on my own. Even the way he walked seemed off. I had been so worried about him, and he just gave me the brush-off. I guess I was only his friend and took a back seat to all the girls that were throwing themselves at him. He was just as popular with the ladies here as back home—maybe more so—and I appeared to be just as much of a loner. The room was full of people chattering away in small groups. Couples twirled on the dance floor. I didn’t recognise any of the music playing. It was mostly instrumental. I felt so out of place. There wasn’t a familiar face to be seen.

  “Matt has been acting like that ever since he woke up,” Victoria said, startling me. “His head has tripled in size due to his new fan group. They think he is so amazing for putting himself on the line to protect you.” She folded her arms over her chest and curled her top lip. She obviously didn’t think he deserved the attention he was getting.

  “I guess that explains him being distant,” I said. “He is trying to impress all the girls.”

  “That’s n
o excuse. Besides, what he did wasn’t that great. He spent most of the fight being beaten up. You are the one that actually saved us.” She looked over in Matt’s direction and rolled her eyes. He was happily flirting with a group of girls.

  “I don’t know about that. It was more of a team effort.” I curled a stray piece of hair round my finger.

  “Anyway, we need to find you a dance partner,” Victoria said, twitching her eyebrow at me. “You deserve to have a little fun tonight.”

  “What?” My hand shot to my heart. “You know I am a terrible dancer. Our little lesson didn’t exactly go well.”

  “That is true.” She tapped her finger on her chin. “I’m sure I can still find a way to hook you up.”

  “I don’t need hooking up.”

  “Speaking of—” Victoria jabbed me in the side and nodded toward Greg, who was walking over to us. “I must say, he cleans up pretty well. He looks much better in a suit than I expected. What do you think?”

  My whole face was on fire. I tilted my head, but I didn’t have enough hair free to cover my face. I prayed my cheeks hadn’t gone red, but she was right. Greg wore a black suit and tie. His hair had been styled so his fringe wasn’t in his face. The smile he gave me as our eyes met made my heart flutter. Victoria wriggled her eyebrows, and the corner of her mouth curled into a smirk.

  “What are you two doing standing in a corner like this?” Greg asked.

  “Nothing,” I replied, looking at Victoria’s shoulder.

  “Trying to find Mellissa a dance partner,” Victoria said.

  “Victoria!” I exclaimed. “I said no. I don’t dance.”

  “Well, that should be easy enough,” Greg said, completing ignoring my objection. He stood next to Victoria and scanned the room. “There are plenty of people that would dance with her. Any preferences?”

  “Just keep her away from that pervy dwarf, and no snooty witches.” Victoria pointed at a couple of men in the room. “I don’t need to kill anyone on her behalf tonight.”