by Cara Wylde
Ash and Kay were walking one step behind her, and Trev was waiting for her next to the red stone they called the Heart of Iarna. Pippa stopped in front of the pedestal, her back to the audience. Kay and Ash stepped aside to give her space, and she suddenly felt lonelier than ever. She stared into the depths of the sleeping crystal and tried to remember what she had to do next. The idea was to use her abilities with purpose and focus, not let them manifest themselves as they pleased. So far, she was doing a great job of keeping her expanded energy field under control, which meant that while her aura did cover the entire Temple, the people there, and the stone itself, she was holding it in a state of silent fluidity, like a peaceful, almost motionless lake on a summer day. But the crystal was calling to her. Now that the stone felt her power had grown, it was as if it knew Pippa was its chance of coming back to life.
“You’re okay,” Trev whispered. “We’re here.”
Pippa smiled at him, then stole a quick glance at Ash and Kay. It was true. They were there, and they had her back. Since she’d given herself to them, body and soul, the night before, she could feel the strong connection they shared. She had their unique energies all over her, and they had her energy all over them. She wasn’t alone anymore, and at that moment, that felt like the most important thing in the world. They had given her something no one on Earth could, and for that she was going to reverse the eternal winter and give them back their planet. So, she took a deep breath and walked around the pedestal until she was facing both the red stone and the people in the Temple. She could see hope in their eyes, but that hope was mixed with disbelief, curiosity, and the fear of disappointment. They had suffered for so long. If she disappointed them now, that could be the last straw. Her failure today could break Iarna and its people forever. Which meant that failure was not an option.
Should she say a few words before commencing? She considered it, then figured out it was better to simply do her thing and let them judge her by her actions, and not her words. She dragged in another breath, held it at the top of her head, then released it slowly. Closing her eyes, she did it again, and then a third time, until she felt herself grounded and well-balanced. Gently, she placed her hands on the crystal and started visualizing her entire energy pouring through her arms and into the stone. Wave by wave, she filled the Heart of Iarna up to the brim, until she sensed that the crystal was full, glowing red, and throbbing with life. Only when she was certain that her energy would stay inside the crystal did she open her eyes. But it wasn’t over. The next thing she had to do was to program it, or... more specifically, tell it exactly what she wanted it to do.
Pippa didn’t have to speak out loud. The red stone wasn’t just an object. Having come from the belly of the planet, so to speak, it was a living, breathing thing. It was a piece of natural technology, but it had a soul of its own at the same time. Mentally, she sent it the message that she wanted imprinted in its memory for years to come. She didn’t know how many years, but she hoped as many as possible.
“You’re glowing with energy, life, passion, and with the power to protect this land and its people.” Her thoughts were clear and perfectly targeted. “You will bring back the four seasons: spring, summer, fall, and the gentle winter that allows the soil to regenerate every year. You now have the power to recharge yourself from the light of the sun, the moonlight of the Twin Moons, and the priests who care for you every day. Support this planet as you have fifty years ago, and when the time comes, the planet will support you, and you will never fall asleep again.”
She felt the stone growing warmer and warmer under her palms. She took it as a sign that her message had been received, and after two more minutes of simply holding the Heart of Iarna and imprinting her most positive, loving, and empowering thoughts, she finally let go. Trev was there to support her weight, but she was fine. She smiled up at him and nodded at Ash and Kay.
“I’m not tired,” she said. “Okay, a bit woozy, maybe, but I’m great. What you guys did last night helped a lot.” She winked, which made Ash chuckle, Kay clear his throat in slight embarrassment, and Trev blush up to his square ears.
“Look!”
An old woman who was standing near one of the windows rose to her feet and pointed at the courtyard. In seconds, everyone had left their chairs to gather around the windows and see the miracle with their own eyes. At some point, one of the priests realized he could actually open the windows, since the ice had melted almost in an instant, so he did just that, and when the sweet smell of spring and the warm rays of a sun that was now the color of gold entered the Temple, everyone present started cheering between tears of joy.
“It worked,” said Pippa. “I mean, I knew that it would work, but this fast...”
Trev wrapped her in an enthusiastic hug and lifted her in the air, spinning her until she started hitting him in annoyance because he was making her dizzy.
The Iarnians opened the front door and ran outside, basking in the sun, shedding their winter coats, and lying on the ground to smell the green grass and the wild flowers popping up everywhere. It seemed like the eternal winter had vanished in the blink of an eye, and with the Heart of Iarna glowing blood red in the Temple, the planet was coming back to life. There was no rhyme or reason to what was happening. It was as if the ice and snow were melting and being absorbed into the ground, the rich soil immediately giving birth to plants, shrubs, and trees. The trees still standing bloomed in seconds, and more small, young trees, appeared next to them, as if out of nowhere. But it wasn’t out of nowhere. It was out of the very heart of the planet, a planet that was eager to feed its people and turn them into the wealthiest and happiest in the galaxy once again.
“I have something to tell you,” Pippa said, pulling Ash, Trev, and Kay to the back of the room. “It won’t last.”
“What do you mean it won’t last?”
She shook her head. Her blue eyes were filled with sadness, but there was something else hiding behind that sadness, too.
“If you don’t find the other red crystals that are hidden in the mountains of Iarna, then this one will get drained again. I don’t know when. It might be years. Decades. I really don’t know.”
The three men exchanged worried looks.
“All right. We’ll find them,” said Kay. “The Council of Four didn’t want to attend today, but I’m sure that by now they’ve realized that it worked and the Prophecy was right. They will approve the search of the other Hearts. I’ll make sure of it.”
“Sounds great, Kay,” said Ash. “But until then? What do we do if we don’t find them in time?”
“I think I have a solution for that,” said Pippa.
Her smile was so bright and confident that it threw the three Iarnians aback. If she had to guess, they were probably wondering how a small, fragile Terran like her could have so many aces up her sleeve. Oh, wait. She didn’t have to guess. She could read it in their auras.
“Instead of going to Uthea, I stay here with you.” She let that sink in, then added: “If you’ll have me, of course. You gave me back my freedom, and I can’t thank you enough for that. I imagine you might prefer an Iarnian wife, now that things are back to normal.” She looked at Kayvor and Trevkon. She knew where Ashtar stood on this one. “But it doesn’t matter, because I’m staying anyway. I can always move to a small house or apartment in the city. Err... you do have apartments, right?” She shook her head in dismissal. “Nevermind. The point is that I’m staying because I can teach the priests of the Temple of the Heart what I know and can do. The truth is that everyone is born with my abilities. I was lucky to discover them early, when I had time, energy, and curiosity to pay attention and explore. They’re there, inside each of us.” She pressed her hand to Trev’s chest. “All you have to do is tap into them and learn how to make them work in your favor. I can teach you.”
Trev swallowed heavily. So many things were running through his head, but Pippa’s hand on his chest was making it impossible for him
to think clearly. How she could have such a strong impact on him... on the three of them... was beyond him.
Ash began to say something, but Kay stopped him. He stepped forward and took Pippa’s other hand into his. He lifted it to his lips, placed a gentle, lingering kiss in her palm, and said:
“The question isn’t whether we’ll have you, because we’ve wanted you since the first moment we saw you, curled up in that emergency pod, freezing to death. The real question is: after all that was said and done, after we threatened you over and over that you’d be returned to the Sepharan trader who stole you from your home... will you have us? Will you be able to forgive us and honor us by becoming our mate?”
Pippa’s eyes filled with tears. They were tears of joy and relief, and they kept falling and falling, so she didn’t bother to stop them.
“Yes,” she said. “You... the three of you make me feel loved, and safe, and special... I haven’t felt like this in a very long time.” She laughed. “I can’t even remember. So, if this is some sort of marriage proposal, then my answer is yes. Do you even... have some sort of wedding ceremony here? I... I wouldn’t want to impose.”
Kay, Ash, and Trev laughed out loud.
“We do,” said Trev. “You’re even getting three rings. How about that?”
“Ooh! Three rings?! I’m so in. Do I get to wear a wedding dress, too?”
“Yes. Red. Like the Heart of Iarna.”
Pippa pursed her lips, but then nodded in approval.
“Okay, I can live with a red wedding dress.”
“Why?” asked Ash. “What color are the wedding dresses on Earth?”
“White.”
“No more white!” Ash, Kay, and Trev yelled at the same time, then they all burst out laughing.
EPILOGUE
Nine Months Later – Winter
After spring, came summer, and then came autumn. If the people of Iarna were worried about the first day of winter, they didn’t show it. The Heart was glowing peacefully in the Temple, and the priests were holding mass every morning and every evening. The Council of Four had ordered the opening of all mines, and all year, Iarnian miners had looked for the other red crystals. So far, no luck. But as long as Pippa Steele was there, their faith was holding strong. The certainty that she knew what to do helped them welcome the first normal, natural winter season in fifty years without fear.
The Terran who had been a slave was now one of the most well-regarded citizens of Iarna. The wife of Kayvor V’tal, General Ashtar Y’tamin, and priest Trevkon B’haduc, the Keeper of the Heart of Iarna, and the one who’d been blessed by Mara and Esus themselves. That was how they saw her, and Pippa felt the pressure of it every day. Fortunately, her idea was working. The priests of the Temple of the Heart were fast learners, and Trev himself now knew how to see auras and manipulate energy fields. Soon, she wouldn’t have to be the only Keeper of the Heart.
On the first day of winter, the first snow of the year fell. But it was nothing like before. The sun was still golden, not of the silvery shade that had kept Iarna sad and cold for five decades. A thin layer covered the ground, the houses, and the trees, but it immediately melted once it stopped snowing. No one had to wear snow shades for fear of getting blind, and the winter coats and boots they’d hoarded weren’t useful anymore. Even when it was cold outside, it wasn’t that cold. The Red Beast got new, lighter tires.
“Do you know what we need?” Pippa asked in the evening, at dinner. She and her triad were gathered around the table, the servants were bringing the dessert and filling their cups of wine, and the fire was crackling in the fireplace.
Kay cocked an eyebrow. Trev shook his head slowly. Ash was busy digging his fork in the chocolate pudding.
“We need something like Christmas. Do you know what Christmas is on Earth?”
“Yes,” said Kay. “It was one of the traditions we studied when we learned your language.”
“I don’t see how it would fit in with our religion,” said Trev.
Pippa waved him off. “It doesn’t have to. I gave Christmas as an example, but it could be something else. As long as it’s a winter holiday. We could... I don’t know... invent something to celebrate the end of the eternal winter. But there’s one thing I do insist we should keep: the exchange of gifts.”
Ash laughed out loud. “If you wanted a new fur coat, you should’ve said so, my Terran princess.”
Pippa blushed. “I don’t want a new fur coat. What am I supposed to do with it, anyway?”
“I think it’s a great idea.” Kay patted his lips with a napkin and stood up. “A wonderful idea, in fact. I’m going to call my father right away and see what we can do to put it in practice.”
Pippa jumped out of her chair. “By Esus! Really?!”
Kay gave her a bright smile. “Yes. We need a name, though.”
“Well, what are we celebrating?” Trev set his fork down, adopting his brainstorming face. “The Heart? Pippa fulfilling the Prophecy?”
“We could call it... Pippamas,” laughed Ash.
Pippa threw him an annoyed glance. “This is serious. Don’t be a jerk.”
Ash shrugged. “What? I am being serious. Pippmas?”
She rolled her eyes and decided to ignore him.
“Okay, I’m sorry I said anything,” Kay chuckled. “Maybe we should let the Council decide.”
“No! It’s our holiday!” Ash protested.
“It’s everyone’s holiday,” Pippa said. “It’s Iarna’s holiday.”
“So, maybe we should let the people decide,” Trev suggested.
“I’m with you.” Pippa rounded the table and pecked Trev on the cheek. “And they should also be free to say how they want to celebrate it. I, for one, insist on gifts and decorations.”
“Okay,” Kay said. “Noted. These are the non-negotiables.”
“Yep.”
“Anything else, or can I go and call my father?”
Pippa thought for a long moment. “I don’t know... Maybe we should make it a 3-day thing. Three is a magic number. Three days in which we celebrate Iarna’s resilience during the eternal winter. It was hard and painful, but you all stood together.”
“Well, not all of us.” There was sadness in Trev’s voice. “A lot of Iarnians left for other planets.”
“Most of them are back now.” Pippa caressed his cheek. “So, let it be a celebration of forgiveness and gratitude, too.”
There was silence for a long minute. Pippa knew the people of Iarna needed more than just a year to heal, but she knew they were all on the right path. A winter holiday to honor their own land, each other, and the crystal that was keeping the planet’s vibration up night and day was exactly what they needed to strengthen their hope, faith, and connection to the community even more.
“So, is that it?” Kay broke the silence. The amusement in his voice dispersed the tension in the air. “Can I go make that call before you guys add even more details and turn this into a one-sided decision?”
“Oh, go already!” Pippa shooed him with a funny gesture. Once he was out of the room, she winked at Ash and Trev, and went to sit down in Kay’s empty chair. “I can’t let this pudding go to waste.” She’d already eaten hers, but that didn’t mean she’d had enough chocolate for the day.
Trev laughed at her. “Do you want me to go tell Kay that chocolate pudding should be the signature dessert for this holiday we’re starting?”
“Yes, please.”
THE END
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More Books by Cara Wylde
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Accidental Slave to the Kralians
