“Oh no, oh no, no, no.’ Custennain said in a frenzied manner that his brothers had not heard from him before.
“Please be alright, I’m sorry. It’s going to be okay, everything is going to be okay.” Custennain said anxiously but quietly as he bent down to lift her from the rocks but as he did so Amenea awakened. She took her time to focus it would seem. When her focus sharpened it became apparent to all three brothers that she recognised them. And as she did - she jumped to her feet.
“You!” she whispered in a raspy voice as she pointed to Custennain. She put the other hand up to her head as if in pain, her eyes flinched as if she were about to loose consciousness. Her petite frame, swayed a little in uncertainty.
“You – keep away from me.” She said as she looked at Custennain.
“I thought you were different, I thought we were meant to …” As she said this Amenea backed away from Custennain and his brothers, she took a few steps backwards some more.
“Amenea – I can explain,” said Custennain. “Let me explain, please.” He continued
“Ha – explain. That is just what my sister said. Sweet, Oriana, sweet, sweet, Oriana. You know what I mean don’t you Custennain? Amenea shot an evil stare at Custennain and then at Mabon. Her eyes grew wide.
Both brothers looked at each other and before they could say another word Hearne stopped them by crying out,
‘Look! Look!’ As he pointed to the edge of the Doverian cliff they all turned – all but Amenea. They could see the tower – the tower of glass but tonight, it was lit. Every time they had ridden this far to see it, it had been dark. The sides were dark, mirrored glass, reflecting all around it. Impossible to see in – impossible to enter in. No windows, no doors – just glass. A tower of glass. But tonight, this was different.
Custennain glanced briefly at the tower but quickly returned to look towards Amenea. His brothers were still transfixed by the tower. Custennain thought that Amenea looked so vulnerable and small, standing there in just some thick woollen tights and a cloak. Custennain reached out his arm to offer her his hand as he said “Amenea, come you must be frozen. Come back to the Chateau, let me explain.”
But the thought of him touching her after she thought that he made her sister with child was too much to bear. She took one too many steps backward and …
“Nooo! Amenea!” Custennain cried out. Seeing what she could not - the sheer drop of darkness that was behind her.
Amenea had reached the edge of the cliff edge and she was starting to fall to fall backwards. Custennain could see that there was nothing behind her, only the sheer drop to the rocks that edged the lake and there was too much distance between her and him to reach her in time to save her.
Hearne and Mabon turned, hearing Custennain’s shriek and as they did so all three brothers rushed to try to grab her as her arms raised out and up in front of her.
As they did so the sky changed colour immediately. It dawned and a sea of coloured lights spread across the sky and towards Amenea like a pathway. To their eyes, Amenea literally froze in time – she did not fall further, off the cliff nor return to her standing position. Time stopped still. The brothers stopped and looked at each other.
“What is happening?” said Mabon out loud.
“Aurora.” said Hearne.
“What!” replied Mabon.
“It is the spirit of Aurora.” Continued Hearne. “She is the dawn goddess and draws the immortal horses from the spirits, across the sky. Custennain my brother, fear not – she may be saved.”
Just as Custennain looked towards his brother for a split second, the sky fell into total darkness again. They could see nothing – not even each other – not Amenea, nothing. Then from a distance they heard a sound like wind, high pitched wind. They stood still and waited – what was about to happen?
Lights, bright lights poured above them and lit the now, darkened sky. Lights shone all around Amenea and then an object, large, flat and round moved across the sky. It hung motionless and silently in the sky, darkening the previous lights and then from beneath this object which was now hovering wide above them all, more lights shone, of all colours.
The eyes of the brothers were wide, they had never seen anything like this before. They felt a pressure in the air, all around them and the lights moved in a circle and Custennain started to think of the mirrors, the lights, the stones, the colours and the patterns all of which seemed to resemble something, but what? What did this mean? What did any of this mean? Still his eyes searched desperately to meet Amenea’s, but she seemed transfixed. Her eyes were open, but she did not blink.
The lights then moved towards Amenea, they moved around her slowly like the lights of the spirits of the divine forces but then they moved faster and faster.
Amenea was then levitated high up into the wide, night sky. She seemed unaware of what was happening, her eyes were now closed. The tower of glass shone brightly behind her providing a beacon of light. The coloured lights continued to move all around Amenea. The brothers looked at each other and although they were alone, they didn’t feel alone.
The coloured lights surrounding Amenea then dimmed and quickly disappeared in an instant flash. The large, flat object that hovered near the edge of the cliff, in the sky, also lit up brightly. Then in an instant all light had gone and Amenea had entirely vanished.
COMING SOON
Book 2
The Carving of the Light
Connect with Anna Lacroire
About Anna Lacroire …
Anna is an author from London, UK who lives on the south coast with her children and her dog.
Anna loves exploring with her readers the different worlds of limitless, imagination.
The Queen of Hope is book 1 of The Tower of Glass series. To continue exploring the world of Amenea along with Anna Lacroire, sign up to her email list through her facebook page:
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The Queen of Hope (Tower of Glass series) (The Throne Of Glass Book 1) Page 12