by Jen L. Grey
Logan doesn’t say anything about my purchases. He knows why, and he’d be doing the same thing if the shoe were on the other foot. Because my brother is an awesome guy, he even buys some wine to take to their house.
When we walk up to Claire’s house, the door opens before we can even knock. My friend appears in the doorway, excitement clear on her face. When she looks at the items in my hand, she squeals and grabs the desserts to take in the house. I laugh because sweets are what she notices, not my brother behind me.
I wave for Logan to follow me.
In the kitchen, Logan glances around. “Where can I put the wine?”
As soon as she hears his voice, she stills and turns.
I try not to laugh at the situation, but it’s a struggle.
She props her hip on the counter and pops one of the chocolates in her mouth. “Hey, Logan. What brings you to my humble abode?”
Logan smirks at her, and tries to not be obvious as he checks her out. “I wanted to get acquainted with the family hosting my sister. Is there anything I can do to help out?”
Claire looks hopeful. “If you are willing, my father could use some help fixing up the back portion of the barn. It’s been sagging, and he needs to get it fixed since it’s supposed to storm bad soon.”
Logan sits the wine down on the counter. “Yes, of course, I’ll help.”
Claire puts up the food and wine in the pantry and then motions for us to follow her.
We walk a short way through their fields before the barn appears. It’s large, at least three times the size of Claire’s house.
When we get there, the whole back end looks like it is going to come down, and Grace and Derek are trying to fix it together.
Claire walks closer to the barn, her tone loud to be heard over the hammering. “Hey, you guys. I brought help.”
Derek stops his hammering and groans. “Claire, it isn’t time for funny games. I have to get this fixed. There is supposed to be a pretty bad storm brewing, and I need this sturdy to protect all the animals.”
Logan walks next to Claire “How can I help, sir?”
At his question, Derek doesn’t respond but there is commotion going on in the barn. He emerges from the barn, Grace following behind him.
They both look miserable and worried.
He stares over at me and my brother. “Are you serious about helping?”
“Of course. You’re letting my sister stay with you, and I would be honored to help out in return.”
Grace is relieved, and I note how worried they are. Their livestock is one of their main sources of income.
Logan walks closer to the barn, and Derek takes the lead, heading back with him.
Grace is exhausted, and her face is streaked with dirt.
Claire walks over and takes her hand. “Mother, why don’t we go and figure out what I should cook for dinner, and I’ll get you some water.”
Grace kisses her daughter on the forehead.
I begin walking towards the animals. “I’ll go check on the animals and make sure they are all fed and secured for the evening.”
Grace glances at me. “Oh, honey. You don’t have to do that. I’ll get back to it here in a few minutes.”
“No, I have it.” I motion towards the house. “Go back, and maybe you guys can cook dinner together.”
Grace gives me a look I can’t decipher, but I stay my course and take care of the animals. Several hours later, I head back to the house and come across the barn. “Can I help with anything?”
They are hammering and I can tell they have made significant progress on the barn. The barn isn’t sinking anymore so at least they are fixing the main problem.
Logan’s voice answers me. “Nope. We are almost done for the day. Give us a second and we can walk back with you.”
I wait and, true to his word, Logan and Derek come out together. They both are drenched in sweat, but Derek has such a relieved expression on his face.
“Thank you both for helping. That would never get fixed in time if it weren’t for your help. One of the animals rammed into it last night, which caused the back side of it to collapse. If you don't mind helping out for the next few days, I would appreciate it.”
Logan wipes the sweat from his forehead. “Of course, I’ll help. It will just have to be after my training each day.”
“I’m glad we were here to help.” I point over to my brother. “It worked out that he wanted to come.”
Arriving back to the house, we are informed dinner is almost ready. The table is set, and Grace tells us to go wash up and take our seats.
Within minutes, the food is served. Grace and Derek’s reactions are priceless when Claire brings out the bread, desserts, and wine that she had hid from them. Most of their meals consist of the things they grow which are the vegetables and meat. They can’t afford these types of luxuries, so this is a big treat for them all.
Logan and I smile at one another, and I open our bond, so we both can feel how happy each of us are. That doesn’t happen often, and it’s nice knowing we aren’t worthless and can make a difference somewhere.
Grace shakes her head. “This is too much.”
I reach out and touch her hand. “No, not at all. Let us help you. You have no idea how much you’re helping me by letting me stay here each week.”
Grace nods and we all dig in.
Claire sneaks glances at my brother all throughout dinner. She hides it well, but I catch her every time.
When everyone is finished eating, Logan stands up. “Thank you all for the meal, but I need to be getting home before dark.” He kisses me on the head. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Claire stands up.
“I’ll walk you out.”
They are gone for several minutes, but Grace and Derek keep me company. Soon, Claire comes back in wearing a dreamy look on her face.
Derek stares at his daughter, his tone gruff. “At least she’s picked a good one to be getting all girly-like over.”
He’s not happy that Claire is obviously is smitten with my brother.
Grace laughs at her husband’s discontent. “She sure did. Don’t take offense to it, Ariah. She’s his only daughter, and if you can’t tell, he’s wrapped around her finger. He dreads the day she finds a husband and moves out.”
“Well, if my brother were to find a wife, I couldn’t think of anyone more worthy than Claire.” I put my hand on my chest. “I would be honored to have you all as my in-laws.”
“Whoa, guys. You are already marrying me to Logan?” Claire pretends to be offended, but then she smiles. “I mean, I’m totally okay with that and would have an awesome sister-in-law.”
She grabs my hand, pulling me toward her room. She sits on her bed, that same far off look on her face.
I’m happy for her, even though it causes my heart to hurt with longing for Nick.
Somehow, Claire knows where my thoughts are going. “Ariah, I’m sorry. I’ll stop. It’s just that I have never felt like this for anyone. I knew we had a connection the other day, but there was always something going on. He felt it tonight, too, but I don’t want your heart to ache for the love you’ve lost.”
I reach out and pat her arm. “You don’t feel bad for being happy. If you and my brother have a connection, I am truly happy for you. I just need time to get myself sorted out, but I am ecstatic for you both.”
Claire reaches over and hugs me so hard it hurts to breath. “You are the bestest friend I could ever have.”
I hug her back, and we hang out the rest of the night in her room until it is time for me to meet up with Lydia.
We leave the same way as last time, and Claire still hovers close as we venture through the woods. When we get to the house, Lydia is once again waiting in the clearing out back.
She smiles when she sees us, and I walk toward her with Claire beside me.
Her eyes appear tired. “I hear much has changed these past couple of days, so we must really focus on our training. I'm n
ot sure how much longer we have.”
I nod my head in agreement. Since more attention will be focused on my family with the upcoming nuptials, I'm sure it will be more difficult to maintain our training.
Lydia pulls out a bowl and a cup from her bag. She focuses on the cup and within seconds it’s filled with water. She turns to me. “Now, I want you to fill this bowl with the water from the cup. Imagine the water lifting from the cup and moving to the bowl.”
Okay, that sounds simple enough. I close my eyes and picture the water lifting from the cup and hovering in the air. It almost feels as if the water is fighting against me. When I picture it lifted, I see small holes in my power allowing the water to drip to the ground. I try to fill the holes, but the water starts dripping more so I then imagine it dropping in the cup, however, water suddenly hits my body.
I open my eyes and find that I’m drenched.
Claire is at her normal spot. She’s sitting underneath the tree and laughing.
I glance at Lydia. “What in Knova? What just happened? I couldn’t get the water to stop leaking and then it hits me instead of going into the cup?”
Her expression is schooled, but I can see the corner of his mouth is pointed slightly upward. “Well, it appears that your connection with water needs some work. This is good information so we will focus on this until you get this master.”
We spend the rest of the night working on manipulating water, which does not come as easy to me. All the other elements feel like they are part of me, but the water just doesn’t want to cooperate. It tries to do the opposite of what I’m asking. However, by the end of the lesson, I’m able to control water already in physical form. I still can’t manage to pull water from the sky, but she tells me we will start with that next time.
As I am getting ready to leave, Lydia comes over to me, her tone soft. “Keep Claire and Prince Samuel close. Claire will always be on your side, and Samuel will be an ally. At least, for now.”
With that, she turns and walks away, leaving me bewildered.
Chapter Eighteen
The next couple of weeks follow a similar routine. Logan helps with the barn, while Prince Samuel and I meet up in the gardens and become good friends. I stay with Claire while I train and continue to channel my powers every time I meet with Lydia.
Nick and I are drifting further and further away. A wedding date has been set for the royal couple. Emerson and Nick will be wed in two days. Right after the wedding, the Orlons will head home, and the kingdoms will continue their plans via messages.
The thought of Sam leaving bothers me more than I’d like to admit. He has become one of my friends and is the best distraction from thinking about Nick. It doesn't hurt that he is handsome and easy to be with. True to his word, he hasn’t attempted to kiss me again, which is a great relief but also disappointing.
Claire and Logan have become an official item, much to her parents’ and my delight. It is weird seeing him with someone romantically, but I am so happy with his choice. She will also be his date to the wedding, which makes me ecstatic. I’ll need all the support I can get.
My training is going well, and my powers are growing stronger each day. I have control over several elements now, including water. However, the more I use my powers, the more control I seem to have over each one. Lydia pushes me to work harder, and we have been focusing on using two elements at the same time each night. She keeps saying we are running out of time, which makes me nervous, and I wonder what she knows. Claire tried asking her about it, but Lydia just told us that, in time, we would know all.
I drag myself out of bed and head to the kitchen for a cup of coffee.
Mother is there and smiles at me as I come through the door.
We haven't discussed why I've been disappearing, but she knows that Logan and I have been spending time with people in the village, helping out. Logan even told her about his friendship with Claire, and Mother is so happy for him.
I grab my toast and fill up a cup with coffee before joining her at the table. I can tell she needs to bring something up.
She looks at me. “Ariah, the wedding is in two days, and then the Orlons will leave, as you know. We are all expected to be at dinner tomorrow night, since it will be the last chance for us all to come together before the big event. Please, feel free to invite Claire. I would love to meet her, and it would be good to have a friend beside you.”
Even though the pain isn’t as raw, I dread Nick’s wedding day and wish it would never come. However, time has a funny way of moving, and it will be here soon.
I nod and eat my toast, and Mother drops the conversation.
After breakfast, I kiss her goodbye and leave for the stables. I need to get to the garden, so I rush through my chores. By lunchtime, I am free until Logan gets through with his training, when we’ll head to Claire’s.
Once in the garden, I lay down just wanting to connect with my surroundings.
Sometime later, someone joins me, and I open my eyes to find Sam sitting right next to me.
He smiles and lays down beside me, grabbing my hand. “I was hoping you'd be here. That Elizabeth is persistent and selfish as anything. I'm trying to be polite, but since we are set to leave soon, she has amped up her attacks on me. There is no way in hell I'd ever marry her.”
I burst out laughing. One thing about Elizabeth is she goes after what she wants.
Sam looks at me with a frown, and I laugh even more.
He then pulls me over to him where I’m right against his body. “I get to hold you as your punishment for laughing at my expense.”
The laughing stops, and I find that I’m okay with it.
When I don't squirm out of his arms, he pulls me closer and puts his face in my hair. “You smell just like the gardens.”
We lay there with each other, knowing we won't have these chances much longer, but neither of us are willing to talk about it.
We must drift off because an unnerving feeling makes my eyes spring open. Someone is hovering over us, staring.
I startle and sit up to see Nick, an angry expression on his face.
“What are you doing, Ari?” Sam reaches out for me, still half asleep. “Get back down here so we can finish our nap.”
“She will not be laying back down with you.” He moves over and smacks Sam’s arms away. “I think it's time for you to go back to your room.”
Hearing Nick’s voice, Sam opens his eyes but doesn't move. “Now, Prince Nicholas, you had your chance and screwed it up. Did you think that no one would see her and recognize what a beautiful person she is, inside and out?”
Nick stays silent but his breathing is erratic.
For the first time in my life, there is a flaw in Nick. I've put him on a pedestal because he is so unlike his father, but today, there is something that reminds me of King Percy.
“I thought you and my sister had started a relationship. She told me you did.” Nick’s eyes flicker to me. “Are you trying to pursue Ariah so you have one more notch in your belt before officially settling down?”
At that, Sam stands and faces Nick. “You will never talk about Ariah like that again. Do you understand? I get that you are taking your anger out however you can, but you will not disrespect her. Additionally, your sister is crazier than I originally thought if she thinks we have some type of relationship starting other than a civil friendship.”
Nick takes a menacing step towards him.
Things are escalating, so without thinking, I pull Sam back and step in between them.
“I don't know what's going on here, but you have no right to be here acting this way. You are engaged to be wed to my sister in two days. Right now, with how you’re acting, I don't even recognize you.”
Nick is still caught up in whatever thought process he is in because he grabs my face. “I can't believe you told him about us. Is this your secret place to meet with him also?”
Sam grabs Nick’s hands, pulling them away from my face. Once realized, he p
ulls me behind his body. “Do not touch her like that again. She told me nothing. I knew everything that night at the ball because of how you interacted with her. Do not place blame on her for anything. Do you understand?”
Between grabbing me and Sam’s statement on how it’s his own fault, he seems like he becomes the Nick that I grew up with.
“Oh my gosh. Ari, I am so sorry.” He rubs his hands down his face.
Unable to deal with this anymore, I turn to walk away, not wanting to look at him any longer.
Nick tries to follow me, but Sam blocks his path.
I’m not interested in their testosterone-fueled battle, so I just keep moving, trying to create as much distance as possible.
I head back my quarters to pack for my night with Claire. After my afternoon, I am anxious to get away from this palace.
The main door opens. Logan must be home from training, but he’s talking to someone. That’s odd since we’d planned to head to Claire’s right away. When I walk out to see what is going on, Dave is standing there.
Logan is trying to get rid of him since he wants to get to Claire.
When Dave sees me, he walks over and gives me a hug. It is so random and forced that it’s strange. He hasn't come back around since the disaster of a date at the ball, so why is he here now?
Before anyone can say anything, there is a loud knock at the door.
Logan looks startled. “Are you expecting anyone?”
I shake my head, and he answers the door. All of us are shocked to see Nick standing there.
What is he doing here? To make matters worse, it’s easy to see he’s upset.
Logan looks pass Nick. “Is something wrong, my prince?”
“Yes, but nothing like what you're thinking.” He turns and looks at me. “I need to talk to you.”
“Whoa,” Logan steps in front of me. “Why in the world do you need to talk to my sister?” Logan exclaims.