Then a burning, a fierce burning on my hip. I lifted the fabric to find a symbol burnt into my flesh. The dark ink and familiar swirling pattern made a gasp escape my lips. A replica of the dragon tattoo I kept seeing in my visions and dreams lay on my skin. I was branded.
The memories began to flash back into my mind. Where am I? I jolted upright. The night sky surrounded me. Moonlight sprinkled through the gap in between trees. The fire crackled beside me. The stars almost appeared to be watching me and the fire's flames appeared to be smiling.
"Calm down, everything's okay," a soft voice comforted me. I recognised him and my head whipped around in his direction. "You're safe," he assured me.
Leonardo gave me a concerned look. "Where? How?" I croaked. My voice husky from lack of hydration. There was something special in his eyes and I could not put my finger on it.
"Leila breathed. You fainted and we needed to get out of an open space. So we moved here," he explained. Handing me a small leather flask.
"Where is here, exactly?" I asked. Looking around the twisted, deformed, unnatural layout of the trees nervously. I opened the lid and began gulping the liquid down.
"We are on the border of Tenebris." A large knot filled my throat. There was a long silence. We were on the Dark Lord's realm. Leonardo's enemy's land. Are we going to go through with this? Then again we did not have another choice, did we?
"How long was I unconscious?" I investigated.
"Over half a day," he answered.
"Half a day! You should have left without me! Leonardo what were you thinking?! We don't have this kind of time to waste!" I began to argue but due to my sudden movement; my world began to spin and swirl once again.
Leonardo was there this time to stop me from collapsing. But I wished he had let me fall because the feeling of his skin against mine; set me on fire. I pulled away from his grasp immediately. "Leila," he sighed, forcing me to sit back down. "Please just calm down. You're half asleep and you aren't even aware of what you're saying or thinking," he hushed me.
"Where is everyone?" I turned looking around. My skin was still burning. Why him? How could he affect me like this? I cannot feel this way. I stood, still afraid to feel his touch again.
"They are sleeping or on guard. I offered to watch you whilst Cam slept and Theo stayed guard. He watched over you for a long time; he really cares about you." He sighed uncomfortably.
"What about Josephine?" I asked in the most neutral tone possible.
"She's her normal moody-self." He shrugged. "She had a fit when she realised she had to sleep outside and she had a right-up hissy-fit when she realised her supper once had a head," he pointed out and I could not help but laugh. "You should do that more often." He smiled.
"Do what?" I asked.
"Laugh; not that fake laugh you give people to remind them you're still human. Your real, genuine, beautiful laugh. You hardly ever use it and it is a real shame." He sighed, not dropping that intense gaze of his. I could not help but turn away. I feared that those eyes of his could see straight through me and could read me like a book. I feared he could see all my fears and secrets. I was scared he could see my very soul. "Leila, what is going on?"
"What do you mean?" I refused to look him in the eye.
"You're far more jumpy than normal, you won't even look at me and it is obvious you're hiding something," Leonardo stated. Then his hand cupped my face forcing me to look at him but I pulled away again. His eyes- they looked so desperate.
"Nothing," I lied but I could feel myself pale. I could not tell Leonardo about my magical powers; neither could I tell him about my parents or the boy with the dragon tattoo. I was not even going to mention the kiss; it would be better if we both just erased from our memory. It was better if we let that memory turn to dust. The only problem was that the kiss was engraved into my brain.
"Leila," Leonardo groaned, catching my arm. The feeling of his skin against mine sent an energy through me. That familiar energy that surged through my veins whenever he held me or touched me.
"We need to get moving." I ignored him, heading in the direction hoping to find the others. "We need to get the eldest tree of this world and we need to get there soon."
"Leila-what is going on?" he asked clearly frustrated. He pushed me up against the bark of a tree and my stomach turned; the butterflies returned. I can not feel this way; not about him.
If I lose myself to him; I lose it all. Leonardo was someone I could never have. "The world is falling apart," I stated. Leonardo did not seem fully convinced that, that was what was bothering me.
"So? When is the world not falling apart?" He shrugged. "That's not what's bothering you and you're lying to me."
"I am not lying." I answered annoyed at how he saw straight through me. Only two people in my entire life had been able to do that; Theo and Leonardo. I was lying but I was not about to admit it. I attempted to smoothly make my way around Leonardo.
"Yes, you are." He blocked my path,trapping me in with strong, muscular arms.
"Oh really? And how are you so sure of this hypothesis of yours?" I challenged myself sarcastically.
"Because I know you," he replied cockily. "You only fidget, squirm and bite your lip on the left side when you're upset, scared, angry or frustrated," he pointed out. Was he really that observant? I did not do those things. Did I?
"You’re wrong," I lied and pushed back a lock of hair.
"I am never wrong," Leonardo retorted.
"Cocky much?" I mocked.
"Very," he replied with a smirk. That was the Leonardo I knew. "That reminds me we need to talk, I need to explain about earlier." My cheeks drained of all colour and then red began to creep into my cheeks until I was a bright red tomato. He wanted to talk about the kiss.
"Leila?" A voice interjected our conversation. It was Theo. I had never been so thankful to see him. Leonardo's arms dropped and I immediately strode towards Theo.
"When did you wake up?" He immediately wrapped me in his embrace. We stayed like that for a while and I could feel Leonardo's eyes on me. It was like an unspoken tension hovered in the air.
"We need to keep moving. We don't have a moment to lose," I told Theo. he shook his head clearly -like Leonardo- concerned for my welfare.
"Leila-" he began but I was not about to let him finish.
"You can either stay here or come with me. I am leaving now and the quicker you both get that through your minds the better. We don't have time to dilly-dally," I complained. Theo and Leonardo exchanged looks.
"Was she always this stubborn?" Leonardo asked Theo.
"For as long as I have known her and to all my knowledge; absolutely," Theo replied. "Fine Leila. Have it your way." Theo threw his hands up in defeat and I could not help but smile widely.
The men were up and ready in less than a minute, it was Josephine who was putting up a fight not to go. "I can command one of my men to take you back to the castle." Theo suggested; he clearly disliked her as much as I did and dreaded the thought of having to put up with her any longer than necessary.
I watched as Josephine's eyes flickered in between me and Leonardo. I wondered if she knew about the... the kiss. I could tell she was extremely suspicious about something. "And she will be going with you all?" she asked angrily.
"Yes, I will," I answered her question directly.
"A battle is no place for a woman," she retorted. "Then again you're not a lady are you?"
"Oh, don't worry! I will try not to break a nail whilst saving someone's life," I growled; losing my patience. The men laughed but were silenced by Theo's disapproving stare. She narrowed her eyes at me.
"Fine, count me in," she finally groaned. Shock was my first expression. You have to be kidding me. She was just another life to protect. She offered nothing.
"You have no training," I growled.
"And what? You do?" She smirked in disbelief.
I drew an arrow and snatched the bow from one of the men's backs and shot a branch in
the tree. It cracked just as I wanted to and then its juiciest apple dropped; falling straight into my hand.
"You were saying?" I overheard one of the men towards the back of the group say.
She gave me a taken back expression followed by a scowl. "Here keep it as a souvenir." I smirked.
Much to my dismay, the princess got her wish and accompanied us on the forest trek. "Disgusting forest, disgusting dirt. My feet are sore!" It had been three hours and all I had heard was her whiny voice.
"Josephine, please do everyone a favour and be quiet," I complained.
"Wow, 'it' said please. I thought they didn't teach manners from where you're from," she retorted. I swung around and was about to lunge for her when Theo stopped me.
He leaned in close and whispered. "She's not worth it." He was right. I carried on trekking along.
I overheard Leonardo's cold tone speaking to her and I wondered what he said because she was suddenly silent. I had to hand it to Leonardo. He was smart. He was a gentleman; but he knew exactly when not to be. He was charming but he knew when to be serious. He was-is perfect. I- I mean some girls must think that.
We reached the borders edge before sunrise. As the Rays of Life cracked between the hills, we saw the twisted, wild forest known as Tenebris. I gulped. Nobody had crossed the border since the war or at least no one had lived to tell the tale.
What was behind that border? What survived? What awaited us? "Are you sure you want to do this?" Theo stood beside me.
"If I do not then everyone dies, Theo. I can't live with that." I sighed. "I can't be responsible for someone's death. Not after Michele." Theo's eyes focused on me and slipped his hand into mine and squeezed.
Theo was the only one who knew about Michele. Michele had been-she had been my best friend back then. I had killed her. I was responsible for her death. Even if it was a long time ago, I did it. It was my fault. I was a murderer. I was scum and worthless; the Seelie queen was right...I was evil.
"It almost doesn't feel real being with you again," he whispered. "My biggest regret was not watching you and letting you walk away. It killed me; being away from you," he admitted and I felt myself crack. Snap. Then the memory of Theo kissing me flooded my mind; however, my memory was suddenly overrun by thoughts of Leonardo. Guilt pumped through my veins replacing all blood.
"Theo-" but I was interrupted by Timmy.
"We have got a problem." Timmy's tone was far too serious. Theo nodded allowing him to continue. "There are Malevolents on the horizon."
"Malevolents?" Josephine had been eavesdropping. "Aren't they just myths?" she asked horrifyingly.
Malevolents had been part of the Dark Lord's private army and let's just say they weren't known for their peachy personality. They still existed? I thought after the dark lord's death, they would vanish from the face of the earth; then again maybe that is too optimistic. Timmy ignored her cowardly, cowardly tone and continued. "They are circling. We will be able to sneak past them if we leave now." He paused.
"Hang on. We are just going to sneak past them? Are we talking about the same cut-throat, murderous, ruthless, soul-sucking, pure evil sorcerers?!" Josephine hissed.
"Do you know any other Malevolents?" I muttered under my breath. Did she just expect pixies and fairy tales?!
"Well...when you put it like that..yes." Theo replied unbothered by the horrified even panicked look on her face. Josephine was out of place here; she did not understand.
How could a girl who only looks out for herself suddenly care about others? "Leila, we need to talk," Leonardo whispered into my ear, his hot breaths brushing my neck; making me tense all over.
I noticed Theo eyeing me out of the corner of his eye. What would he do if he found out about the kiss? What did Theo want? What did Leonardo want? What did I want? My brain was swimming with thoughts; making me nauseous. "Not now," I replied. Leonardo nodded but I noticed the disappointment in his exterior.
Just around this bend was the border of Tenebris. I needed to stay focused. I need to concentrate. I need to breathe. I walked away from all the men who were discussing strategies. I needed to see it.
I needed to see Tenebris. If I did not I would not believe any of this was true. I turned the corner to look down into a valley where the borders met. The forest of Tenebris was ancient. The tree trunks were thick and old; the roots twisted among one another, making it look like the trees were holding hands.
It was clear to see that the grounds from this forest had been formed from centuries of tree remains. The swirling, choking mist that hovered around the forest floor was the first thing that spoke of a certain uncertainty. That is when I saw the symbol of Tenebris imprinted on the bark of a tree. The symbol of Tenebris was a trident of some sort with a swirling design that surrounded it.
The realisation that we were going through with this was more than daunting. "Leila?" A face suddenly appeared in front of me; Theo. How long had he been watching me? I did not look at him; instead I eyed the thick forest leaves at the forest edge.
"I keep seeing a face, Theo. I keep seeing the same face. I keep having flashbacks and visions." He did not even need to ask for me to open to him. I just did. Theo was one of those rare but precious people, which cracked me open and allowed me to give him intimate glimpses to all my mysterious emotions and secrets. "A boy-a man. He is always in them." Theo was silent but I could tell he was analyzing my every movement. "There's more, my parents..." I pushed down the knot. "My parents, I don't think they were villagers and I can't stop wondering about-about my mother. People keep saying I resemble someone." I thought first to the Fae queen and then to Leonardo's father. The day I had been sent to trial; the king had accused me of looking like someone- was it possible that he knew my mother? I recalled the king's eyes burning with anger and shivered. Did he know her or was I just delusional? No. I was wrong. I had to be.
"Leila, you need to look at me." Theo pulled my face up to look at him. My hand was placed on his firm chest. "When I first saw you were stubborn and lively. When I met you were broken and it took me forever to convince you to trust me. It is funny how reflections change; you have become so strong sometimes I do not even recognize you. You are the strongest person I know." He sighed. Did he mean that?
Theo was hard as a rock from the outside but from the inside he was soft. Most people fell for his cold exterior but I didn't. He was only cold because life made him like that. He had suffered and I did not blame him for shutting the whole world out.
I had done the same; until Leonardo.
"Leila, I- I love you," he finally whispered. Theo was my first love and I was not ready to let him go. I needed him. A life without him seemed cold and empty. I need to forget about Leonardo. We had no hope. We were born into different ranks. We were not good for each other. He was stubborn; I was stubborn.
I don't think I would survive falling for Leonardo and then being pushed away. I could not play with fire without risking getting burnt. I looked at Theo and I could not bring myself to form words; so I just hugged him. He stroked my hair with his fingers and his strong arms around me. "We will figure this out together," he whispered gently. He rarely showed affection so when he did I melted.
I thought about his words: it is funny how reflections change, I had changed. I changed a lot in the last few weeks. But had I changed for the better or the worse?
"If there's a will, there's a way." He smiled. "We won't- can't be defeated." His familiar hug made my heart skip a beat.
"Hmm, are we interrupting something?" Josephine was the one to speak even though all of Theo's men stood there beside her. I noticed the figure beside her was furious, his lip was curled, his eyes murderous and I had never seen him like that.
He suddenly looked like his father and it sent chills down my back. Theo did not release me from his grip and he had clearly noticed Leonardo's state. Leonardo's eyes flickered from my eyes to Theo's. That smile that came from his cheeks was replaced with a scowl. I wanted to vanish and di
sappear. Theo held me firmly in place.
I attempted to unwrap Theo's arms but it was no use. Theo was not letting me, he was proving a point. I sucked in a breath. Silence dominated the air. Silence really is the loudest scream. Leonardo, stop looking at me like that. His eyes of his could set everything on fire.
"Well, if you two are done; let's move," Josephine sighed, pushing straight through us and separating us. Leonardo had finally stopped looking at me and I felt even worse; if that is possible. My heart was racing. Leonardo followed her with heavy footsteps.
The men just stared blankly waiting for Theo's next order but he was too busy watching me. He was suspicious; more than suspicious. I could see the caution in his eyes.
Cam walked towards me slowly. "Wow- that was wow." Cam finally spoke. "And I thought I had problems," he muttered. "Leila,have you lost your mind?" he asked, annoyed. "I am telling you this because you are kind-of -in some irritating way- my best friend. Both are here for you and if you want them to survive the trip; you won't play with them." He paused. "Not like that. They will end up killing each other." Cam walked away from me in the direction Josephine and Leonardo had gone.
The Golden Year and the Sorceress Page 20
