“I’m okay, Father. Maybe a little scratched up, but I’m here,” I tried to say lightheartedly, and he relaxed a little.
Together we went over to the large table where King Knadian was sitting beside Ruby. Embrosine and Sunn were right next to them, with Shar on the other side of Sunn. My eyes kept wandering until I reached the far end of the table and that’s when I caught sight of him. My gaze locked with his beautiful emerald-scarlet eyes and I felt my heart lurch in my chest. I wanted so badly to run to him, feel his arms around me. But I knew that would be impossible.
“We are so glad you are awake, Sabeara,” Ruby said softly, as we all took our seats.
“Thank you all for coming to this meeting,” King Knadian began, and then he let out a long sigh. “There have been a series of tragic events that have transpired as you all know. Asmede has been burned, the castle was attacked, and many other villages are most likely suffering similar contravention as we speak.”
Everyone was very quiet, listening to King Knadian’s words.
“We have taken in many refugees and we will continue until it is impossible to handle anymore. Our people are offering help and aid, and I’ve sent many of my soldiers to help with the attacks at the border of Aveladon. But I don’t know if it will hold them back. It seems that Severesi has allied with Obscurum.”
I took in a sharp intake of breath at the news.
“We will do our best, but another battle may transpire here if we can’t hold them back. A war has begun and all men and women capable of fighting are being asked to help. I feel it is also essential that everyone here gets proper defense training. Just in case of another attack. And those unaware, need to be informed on the safe rooms constructed inside the castle as well.” Everyone at the table nodded. “At any moment I may need the captains of the armies to step forward into battle. So be on guard.” His gaze turned to Oli and Shar when he said this.
“Do we know how they got onto the castle grounds?” I asked.
“Right now we are unsure how so many of them got through the city gates without being noticed and how they entered the castle walls,” Oli replied.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if our people are turning against us,” I said softly, and all eyes turned to me. “Tassadar was a councilman and he was with Obscurum. I wonder if there are more like him.”
Oli looked to be considering my theory for a moment. “It’s possible she could be right.”
I watched several heads nod across the table.
“The castle security is being reinforced, so hopefully we won’t have to worry about any more of our own betraying us,” Shar spoke, his jaw clenching.
There was silence for a moment as everyone seemed to be thinking.
“One more thing,” King Knadian said, while eyeing Mid carefully from across the table. “To speed up matters and appease the people, the wedding needs to take place at the end of the week. The alliance needs to be solidified as soon as possible.”
I felt my heart constrict at the news and turned to look at Mid who’s face had turned suddenly pale.
“But, Father. . .” Mid began to say.
King Knadian held up his hand for silence. “It is not up for discussion,” he stated abruptly.
Mid shook his head, obviously upset. I looked over at Jasper and her eyes were wide with shock.
“This is all I wanted to discuss. We are glad everyone is safe. Now please be careful as the week’s events take place.” The king finished speaking, and Mid was the first to stand from the table. Stone faced and obviously angry, he stormed away and quickly left the room.
TWO DAYS later I walked with Oli to the meadow where our training was going to take place. Clouds shrouded the sky and it was a murky fall afternoon. The meadow behind the castle was just beside the stables and was surrounded by vast pine trees and lush green bushes.
My leg was feeling better and was only a little sore, but Oli kept one hand firmly on my arm, insistent on guiding me. They’d dressed me in sentry attire for the occasion, a pair of loose black trousers and a thin long-sleeved shirt to match. It was cold, but I endured it, knowing I would be warm soon enough with the exercise we’d be doing.
“When are we going to tell Jasper?” I asked.
The last couple days my mind had been reeling about Aveladon, the curse, and the wedding that was going to happen in three days. It was an endless series of thoughts that kept me up at night.
“About what?” he asked, but he already knew what I meant.
“The curse,” I said impatiently. He sighed and rubbed his temples as if he had a headache.
“Soon, I promise.”
“I know my father will be hard to convince, but Jasper, she might believe,” I insisted.
“She has a lot going on already, Little Bear. Introducing the curse to her at the right time is crucial. But don’t worry, I have a plan. Just be patient.” His words were distant, devoid of their usual conviction.
“Oli, what’s wrong?”
He had been distracted all morning. I knew there was a lot going on. He was the Captain of the Royal Guard, which I assumed brought on all sorts of stresses I didn’t understand. But there was something else, something deeper beneath his thoughtful expression that for some reason I knew didn’t have anything to do with the curse or Aveladon. He didn’t reply for a moment. It was as if he was contemplating if he should say something. I stopped walking, and forced him to turn and look at me.
“Oli, what is it?” I asked more firmly this time.
“It’s. . . about Illyria,” he finally admitted.
“Did something happen to her?” I couldn’t help but think back to so many months ago to the night of Jasper’s Granting. I recalled a vivid memory of the beautiful girl in the daisy styled dress and dazzling brown eyes. She was the councilman’s daughter he had been kindling a romance with.
“I’ve been keeping tabs with the soldiers who are assisting the merge of survivors into Ethydon. Most of the royal councilmen and women made it out safely from the attack. Their establishments in Asmede were carefully safeguarded, so most of them were protected from the fighting and the fire. But they haven’t heard anything from Illyria or her father yet. I’m assuming they may have. . .” His voice broke and he didn’t continue, but I knew what he was going to say. His eyes had filled with tears and it was one of the few times I’d seen him completely devastated.
“Oh, Oli, I’m so sorry.” I pulled him close to me, wrapping my arms around him tightly. I held him for a moment and felt him breathe in a couple shaky breaths. When he pulled away, he quickly blinked the tears from his eyes.
“I’ll be fine,” he said determinedly, more to himself than me.
“Maybe they will find her,” I suggested hopefully. “But if for some reason they don’t, I’m here for you. You know that, right?” I squeezed his hand and he squeezed it back.
“Thanks, Little Bear.” He gave me a weak smile and then gestured toward the path. “Training waits for no man,” he teased, and I was grateful he was trying to push through despite the pain.
We came upon a rectangular fence established in the middle of the open field. It housed a series of obstacles inside. It looked like a training course. Shar was already there with Mid and Jasper. Also in the arena was Ghost. The big polar bear was standing patiently next to Mid and memories filled my head of the weeks I got to spend with him and the big creature.
“Glad you could join us,” Shar called to us as we came to admire the setup. There were mats spread out and many dangerous looking weapons ready to be used. When I passed Ghost, the beast growled softly, and I gently reached out to pet his big furry head. Mid looked at me, but only for a moment before flitting his eyes away. I felt hurt for some reason at his cold shoulder. But I had to remind myself that avoidance was what I had wanted, wasn’t it?
Memories of our last talk together filled my head, and I inwardly cringed as I recollected telling him I wanted him to be with Jasper, instead of fighting to be with m
e.
“We were just learning how to take down our opponent without a weapon. Oli, would you please join me?” Shar gestured for Oli to come stand beside him.
“Where are the others?” I asked, wondering why Embrosine and Sunn weren’t out on the field with us. Shar’s eyes darkened at the mention of their names.
“They won’t be joining us today.” That was all the explanation he provided before he jumped into lecturing Jasper and me on how to defend ourselves. “Let’s begin with basic defense knowledge. Go for the soft spots—the eyes, the nose, the neck, and the groin.” Shar paused and waited for Oli to explain further.
“If they have you in a hold, use all your means to kick, bite, and hit your opponent. Make it hard for them to keep a hold on you.” Oli beckoned Mid over to demonstrate with him.
Oli grasped Mid in a chokehold, and I watched fascinated as he bent forward, kicked Oli’s legs from beneath him, and flipped him onto his back to the ground. Oli quickly stood with a small grunt, not fazed by the takedown.
“Without powers, you can still defend yourself. We will also practice today with powers though, to help master more of your capabilities,” Oli added, and I knew this was directed at Jasper.
When we partnered up, I was with Oli, Jasper with Mid, and Shar walked around to double-check our form. First, we practiced the motions of hitting every soft spot, but not hitting our partner hard enough to actually hurt each other. Then we were taught a series of
kicks and punches that would help us dismantle our opponent. I was sweating by that point but didn’t get a chance to rest before we started to practice disengagement with one another.
I started with Oli first. He was gentle when wrapping his arms around my neck and helping me learn to maneuver my way from beneath his locked arms. It was all just pretend, but I wondered how it would feel when it was a real enemy. Memories of Tassadar and his arms around my neck at the gala party forced their way into my head and I shivered.
“Switch partners,” Oli ordered suddenly.
I turned to look at Mid who would be working with me next. He was helping Jasper from the ground, and he carefully swept a golden lock of hair behind her ear and whispered something to her. She giggled and he gave her a charming smile. I frowned and felt my heart constrict painfully at the way he was suddenly flirting with her so openly.
He reluctantly made his way over to me and picked up a set of daggers on the way. When he stopped in front of me he didn't look at me. He began explaining the weapons and avoided my gaze.
“Most likely if you get in a fight, your opponent will be Stone-Hearted. There is no telling what type of power they may have. Your chances of survival increase when you know how to wield a weapon. These daggers should be a good size for you.” He handed me one of the daggers. It was silver with a black hilt encrusted with several precious gems. It looked small but it was heavy, and I held it limply in my hand. Mid looked at me with evident frustration. He came behind me and quickly helped me grasp the handle the correct way.
“Your thumb goes here, and your other fingers wrap like this. . .” He began moving my fingers until I finally had the correct hold on the hilt. I lost my breath at his touch, and I was barely listening as his pinewood scent surrounded me. When he came back in front of me, he began positioning my limbs for the correct battle stance.
“You want to be firm on the ground. Feet apart, one foot slightly in front of the other.” He moved my feet and shoulders to get the exact posture he desired. Finally positioned correctly, I looked up at him expectantly and he growled a little. “Stop looking at me like that, Sabeara.” He seemed angry, and I didn’t know what he meant. I hadn’t known I’d been looking at him differently.
“What do you mean. Looking at you like what?” I asked, glaring at him. I was beginning to become frustrated with his hostility. But I mentally berated myself because I knew I’d treated him similarly since the moment he arrived at the castle.
He came up close and pretended to fiddle with my dagger. His lips came very close to my ear when he spoke again. “Like you're begging me to grab you and kiss you,” he said boldly.
My eyes widened in surprise. “My face does not say that!” I hissed angrily.
“Whatever helps you sleep at night, Little Bear.” He took several steps back, pulling his dagger up into a fighting stance. “Take a swing,” he smirked, and I never wanted to hit someone with a weapon so badly.
I swung my dagger up in an arc toward him, but when it came down for the strike he quickly hindered my efforts. I grunted at the resistance of both our weapons interlocking and tried again with as much strength as I could muster. He quickly blocked that attempt too. We went back and forth for a moment, my feeble attempts quickly deterred. Eventually, the weapon weighed me down and I became very slow with fatigue. I wasn’t as quick as him and it didn’t take long for him to overpower me. I somehow ended up with my back pressed against his chest, and his dagger positioned against my throat.
“Good try, Little Bear, but you’re going to have to do better than that to escape me.” The way he said my nickname sent a flush across my skin and I felt my knees go a little weak. I was barely holding myself up when he released me.
“Last round!” Shar called, and Mid didn’t even look back as he returned to Jasper. I watched him sweetly caress her arm when he got to her side and she smiled shyly up at him. It was then he deliberately caught my eye and making sure I was watching, leaned down to press a kiss to her perfect forehead.
“I’m done for the day,” I said, suddenly fuming, and carelessly threw my dagger into the pile of awaiting weapons. Oli who had come back to my side noticed that I was visibly upset and reached out to comfort me, but I quickly turned away from him. Before he could say anything, I exited the field gate and made my way back to the castle.
TWENTY-SIX
The next several days the castle was bustling with wedding preparations. Every corner I turned someone was carrying flowers, food, or decorations into the ballroom. It was a painful reminder of the events that would take place at the end of the week. What made it all so much worse was I saw them everywhere. Every corner I turned it seemed they were together: eating breakfast, talking in the dining room, or taking a romantic stroll. I was bombarded with their slight touches and gentle flirtation. It got to the point where I finally holed myself into a little hideaway so no one would find me.
Down one of the halls, I found a secluded windowsill nook. It was the only quiet place I’d found, and for hours I stared at my amulet to distract myself. Instead of focusing on the events that were a constant looming cloud over my head, I tried to focus my energy on figuring out the amulet’s power.
After I had returned from training in the field, the amulet had changed colors. Instead of the familiar ruby, it glowed a soft violet color now. I figured I had activated something, but I still hadn’t managed to figure out what I had done to it. I sighed, tapping it again, hoping it would flicker or something, but nothing happened.
“That’s a pretty necklace.” The voice came from above me and I squeaked in surprise. Looking up I found red curls spilling over the side of the window nook. I peered upwards and noticed Sunn hanging upside down from another little perch above where I sat. I hadn’t noticed the additional alcove before. She smiled at me, her bright green eyes shining with amusement.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you,” she said innocently, and I just shook my head, trying to catch my breath.
“I didn’t notice you were up there, Sunn.”
“I’ve been here for a while,” she grinned, and I smiled back, her enthusiasm contagious.
“So whatcha got there,” she asked, still leaning over the edge, her cheeks becoming slightly red from the blood rushing to her face.
“It's an amulet. A magic one, I think,” I said defeatedly, still unsure. I watched her eyes widen with curiosity.
“A magical amulet? Can I see?” She began reaching down toward the amulet and that was when she fell.
One second she was firmly above me, and then she slipped from the little compartment and was falling to the floor. I reached out in an attempt to catch her, but she was similar to the same size as me, and I waited for the weight of her to impel both of us to the floor. But when it never came, I opened my eyes and found I had caught her in my arms with ease. I was holding her in a cradle, both arms firmly gripped around her back and legs and I wasn’t struggling at all to hold her up.
“Oh my. . .” I whispered and quickly set her down, unsure how I’d had the strength to catch her. “Are you okay, Sunn?”
She looked at me, seemingly unaffected. “Sometimes I’m a little clumsy. Thanks for catching me,” she said sheepishly, and I nodded still astonished.
I looked down at the amulet and the color was slowly fading from the ruby. It was then it suddenly hit me. Oli’s Stone-Hearted ability was enhanced strength. He was stronger than any ordinary mortal, and more than most Stone-Hearted. His heart was the same violet that had appeared on my amulet. I began to theorize that the amulet had given me his abilities, for just a moment maybe, but gave me them all the same. I gasped aloud and Sunn looked at me confused.
“Are you all right?” she asked.
I nodded, distracted. “I’m sorry, but I have to go.”
WHEN I WENT in search of Oli he seemed to be missing. I began to worry when I approached several castle guards and they all shook their heads.
“We are sorry, princess, but we haven’t seen him.”
I eventually went to find my father thinking the worst. When I arrived at the study we’d had the meeting in the days before, he was sitting with King Knadian, the two of them looking over a set of documents on the table.
“Sabeara, is there a problem?” my father asked, standing from his chair.
“Where is Oli?” I inquired, and at least my father had the decency to look sort of ashamed.
Granted (Granted Series Book 1) Page 20
