by Eliza Tilton
Past the pool, where the beginning of a grotto jutted out, I saw a flash of blue. Vibrant blue. Then another. Then three more. A mass of blue, more brilliant than the blue jays back home, swirled toward me.
The closer the mass came, the better I could see. Butterflies. A single swarm of them. Lucino scoffed as the butterflies flew around me.
“Disgusting things,” he said and went to flick one.
“Don’t!” I grabbed his hand. My eyes widened as the butterflies flew in a singular motion and landed on my arms. Suddenly, a warm sensation fluttered in my body and joy burst through my chest. I didn’t dare move, afraid to scare the magical creatures away.
Whatever they were doing to me, I didn’t want it to stop.
“That’s strange,” Lucino said. “They’ve never touched anyone before.” Lucino’s forehead scrunched together as he glanced at the creatures decorating me.
Then as fast as they came, they left. I watched them fly away, taking with them a sense of longing. “They’re beautiful.” I turned to Lucino, who still looked a bit perplexed. “What do you know about them?”
Lucino’s brows narrowed, his gaze followed the disappearing blue. “We believe they are the keepers of this grotto, old spirits watching over the waters.”
Wonder swelled in my chest. This place is magical.
“Thank you, Lucino. Everything you’ve shown me here, it’s all breathtaking.”
The blue in Lucino’s eyes shined, and I dared to move closer until my dress brushed the side of his outstretched leg. The medallion he wore around his neck sparkled under the waning light. I reached out to touch it. “May I?”
He nodded.
I lifted the heavy necklace and rubbed my thumb across the snake emblem. “What is this? You’re never without it.”
“It is called the ouroboros. It means eternity.” He lifted the chain around his neck and held up the symbol. “This is the spiral of life.”
“It’s a bit dark.”
He smiled. “Would you rather I wear a butterfly around my neck, my lady?”
I laughed. “That would be very interesting. I can imagine all your guards wearing butterflies on their armor.”
Lucino laughed, and for the first time, his face brightened. Since we’d met, Lucino had always acted proper and very formal. I’d never seen him relax or enjoy himself. Seeing this side of him opened a flurry of different emotions. In this place, he wasn’t a lord, and I wasn’t a peasant. We were simply two people lost in the magic.
“Thank you for bringing me here,” I said, and reached for his hand.
His eyes searched mine. He grabbed my hand, sending my heart into a whirlwind. “You may come here anytime you like.”
“I’d like that, very much.”
Chapter Thirty-Five
Avikar
The next day, Raven showed me around town, Bruno trailing behind us. His dumb, dopey smile made me smile. Derrick went with Jericho to follow a lead. Apparently, Jericho’s good buddy had overheard another guard talk about Lucino’s betrothed while visiting the “tunnels”—no idea what those were, but I knew Derrick would bug Jericho for a deeper explanation. I wanted to go, but Jericho couldn’t take both of us. Too risky. Derrick argued with me for a good portion of the morning, and I finally gave in.
Back to the market we went. With Derrick, I hadn’t paid attention to any of the vendors or wares. We were too busy scouting. Even with an escort, I felt a little uneasy. I kept thinking a local would notice me. They’d scream OUTSIDER and then I’d have to fight my way out. Luckily, nothing like that happened.
Raven talked about Daath. She was clueless to the rest of the world. She thought Daath more advanced than the primitive lands surrounding it. She described Lucino as god-like both in stature and appearance. I wondered if she knew he could shapeshift into a reptile. “You ever wonder why people think Lucino is a god?” I watched her face, waiting to see if she knew anything more than she claimed.
“Well, there are stories, but they’re old fables. None of them are true.”
If she only knew. “Tell me one.”
We passed by a vendor selling smoked meat. My stomach growled.
Her eyes darted to the right and left, just like the other day.
“Don’t worry, you can trust me,” I said, nudging her shoulder with mine. “They’re not true anyway, right?”
“He’s been ruling for longer than anyone can remember, and yet, hasn’t aged a day. Some think he wields powerful magic, but I don’t believe it. Daath has powerful herbs. I know because I collect them for coin. I’ve heard the herbalist in town talk about a mandrake that can renew the skin to younger years. I bet Lucino found it.”
She stopped in front of a weapon merchant. A gleaming rapier caught my eye. That is true beauty.
“Excuse me,” I said. I squeezed past her to pick up the blade.
Iron.
It made sense that Daath would have iron weapons. There had to be mines on this side of the mountains. The merchant had a table full of daggers, short swords, throwing knives, spiked maces and even a doubled headed axe. It was a shame Derrick wasn’t here to see the collection.
Placing the blade back on the pile, I searched for Raven.
She’d walked over to a nearby fruit merchant who was talking to a man in an oversized hat. She strolled by, and when the two men began arguing, she flicked her wrist, grabbed an apple and shoved it into her pocket.
That little thief.
She walked by a few more carts before heading back to me. “Find anything you like?” she asked.
“He’s got a nice collection.” I gestured at the weapons merchant.
We started walking again. Once we bended the corner, she took the apple out of her pocket.
“Can I have some? I’m starving.” I rubbed my belly and winced.
“Sure.” She tossed the apple to me, and I put it into my cape.
Without giving her an explanation, I turned around and headed to the fruit merchant.
“Where are you going?” She asked while following me.
I grinned and kept walking.
She ran in front of me, pressing her palms against my chest.
“Avikar, what are you doing? You’re not going to tattle, are you?” I winked and walked to the fruit merchant.
“Hello, good sir.” The fruit merchant nodded, and I pointed to a bunch of apples. “I’ll have two of those and one of those oranges in the back.” When he turned around, I took out the apple. “And this one too.”
He nodded, and since I didn’t have a basket, he dumped them in my arms.
When I reached Raven, her cute face was bright red. I handed her back the apple. “Here you go, and if you’re still hungry, there’s plenty more.”
“Grr.” Her forehead scrunched, and she stomped down the street.
“What’s the matter?” I called after her. “I thought you were hungry?”
“I was,” she grumbled.
“Raven.”
She whirled around, furious. “Why did you have to do that? Are you trying to make me feel like an idiot?”
I laughed and brushed the hair out of my face. “Who’s the idiot who stole the apple?”
She scowled and stormed off again, this time walking a lot faster. I sped up, but the closer I got, the faster she walked. I didn’t feel bad. Short of starvation, there was no excuse for stealing. And with Anna’s cooking, nobody was starving.
After what seemed like forever, she slowed, and I draped my arm around her shoulders. “You still mad at me?”
“A little,” she mumbled, crossing her arms.
I closed my arm around her neck, pulling her into me. “But you were being bad.”
She gave me a tiny smile, grabbed my wrist and twisted.
“Feisty.”
She sighed and laughe
d, tossing my wrist aside. I refused to let her know that move actually kind of hurt. I pointed to a nearby bench. “Can we sit for a minute? I’m tired of walking.”
She nodded, and we sat.
I chomped into the apple. It tasted nice and crisp. “What’s your story? Why would you steal? You can get killed for that.”
She smirked. “I never get caught.”
Eyeing her, I asked, “I’m sure, but why do it?”
Raven leaned her head back, gazed up at the sky, took a deep breath, let it out and said, “It’s a rush.”
I coughed and punched my chest, dislodging the piece of fruit I almost chocked on. “You’re going to risk your life for a rush? There are other things you can do than stealing.”
“I know, but it’s fun. The anticipation, the way your heart races … there’s nothing like it,” she sighed.
I slid closer to her until our legs touched.
“If you want your heart to race,” I said softly in her ear. “I think I can manage that.” My arm slipped around her, and my fingers brushed the side of her neck. I could see her chest rise and fall under her white chemise.
“What are you doing,” she whispered.
I licked the bottom of my lip and watched her eyes go wide. “Is your heart racing?”
It took her a moment to get my hint. When she did, she scooted away from me, giggling. “I bet you dazzle all the girls back home,” she said.
“Me? Never. I was simply making a point.”
“I’m sure, but that’s not the kind of rush I’m looking for.”
I shrugged my shoulders. “Only trying to help.” My voice took on a serious tone. “Promise me you’ll stop.” “Give me one good reason why.” I saw the challenge in her eyes.
“I’ll give you five,” I proclaimed.
She folded her arms, grinning. “They better be good ones.”
“Oh, they are.” I threw the apple core on the ground. “One, you’re the most beautiful girl I ever set eyes on. Two, your smile warms my soul. It’s invigorating. Three, you have these deep eyes that suck me into their dark depths and I can’t pull away. Four, you could have the whole world if you wanted, all you have to do is ask. Five, stealing is a disgusting habit and the only thing it does is taint your beauty, making moot everything else I just said.”
Her eyes glistened, and I thought she’d kiss me right there. We stared at one another, her looking starry eyed and me starting to feel foolish. I bet my father would never say anything romantic like that, but I was only doing it to sweeten her up. I needed more information about Lucino. Something useful.
“Were those adequate reasons?” I asked, hoping to diffuse this strange moment.
“I’ve … I mean … they were okay.”
“Promise.”
“I promise. No more stealing.”
She gathered her hair into her hands and ran her fingers through it. I watched as her eyes desperately tried to avoid mine, but I wouldn’t let them.
“How long will you be staying?” she asked, biting her lip.
“I’m not sure, a few days, maybe more.”
She looked in the opposite direction. “Oh.”
Her hair blocked her face, which I didn’t like. Our knees barely touched, but it was enough to make my blood heat. Sitting next to a pretty girl, flirting, her flirting back—it was distracting. Everything in me said to stop, but it’d been long since I’d felt anything other than pain. This was a nice change.
Her leg moved, rubbing against mine. I needed to walk.
I stood. “You ready to show me the rest of this town?”
Her mouth opened, but then she shut it. “Sure, let’s go.”
We walked down a back street and an old woman crept out of a shabby house. “Have your fortune read, sweetie?” the hag asked while trying to coax us inside.
“No,” I said, coldly.
Raven tugged on my arm. “Come on, it’ll be fun.”
I shook my head. “I’m not going in there.”
“Pleeease.” Raven cupped her hands to her chest. “We won’t be long. I promise.”
She made it hard to say no. “Fine, let’s go.”
The hag brought us inside and to a small wooden table surrounded with white candles. The candles had melted onto the table, creating a pile of messy wax. The place stunk of sage, dried bundles of it hanging throughout the house. Strange knick-knacks cluttered the room on crooked shelves, making the place seem even smaller and stuffier. A small cracked window was partly open.
We sat, and I motioned for Raven to go first. Raven held out her hand for the hag to examine.
The hag rubbed her knobby fingers over Raven’s palm. “You’re quite the adventurer, aren’t you, my dear?” the hag cooed.
Raven bobbed her head in excitement. Anyone could guess Raven wasn’t your typical girl. What girl doesn’t wear a dress and knows how to fight?
“But you’ve been hurt,” the hag continued, “I see a lot of pain in your past and betrayal … someone very dear to you hurt you.”
Raven’s smile faded, and her hand clenched into a fist.
“Don’t worry, my child. There is love in your future,” she said, and her glance drifted towards me.
Why is she looking at me? I pretended I hadn’t heard her, or seen Raven sneaking a glance my way.
The hag laughed, softly, and dropped Raven’s hand. “Your turn dear.” She held out her hands, waiting for my palm.
I have a bad feeling about this. Raven nudged my arm, and I grunted.
The hag’s brow furrowed in concentration. Her glassy white eyes widened, and she muttered. I leaned in closer, trying to hear what she said.
Then her deathlike eyes glared at me. “You are a special one. Come to see the visitor. Fate has something special for you, boy, but you should not be here. You don’t belong in Daath … outsider.”
My heart beast so fast I thought I’d puke. I pulled my hand back, but she tightened her grip, keeping me in her icy grasp.
“Death awaits you if you stay. You must leave now.”
I jerked my hand away from her. “I don’t believe in fate.” I stood and stormed out, almost knocking over the table.
“Wait!” Raven yelled, “don’t listen to her. None of that stuff means anything.” I ignored her.
Death, whose death? How could that old hag know about me?
“Avikar, slow down!”
I waited for her then continued running.
“Where are you going?” She asked. “Why are you so upset?”
I stopped, turning to face her. “Death, Raven. She said death was close by.”
Raven rolled her eyes. “She also told me true love was in my future. Should I believe her?”
“… That’s different …”
“How so?”
“It is. I’d rather have love in my future than death.” Before she got misty eyed, I started walking.
Chapter Thirty-Six
Avikar
Why, why were we back at the lake? Raven wanted to race, and once I realized where she was running, she was too far ahead. How could I tell her that her favorite place made me sick, and every time she brought me here, I wanted to scream.
She stood at the bank, gazing in. “Turn around,” she said.
“Why?”
“Because I’m hot and want to go swimming, and I don’t want you to see me undress.”
Immediately, images of her naked torso popped into my mind. I put my back to her. I could hear the brush of her clothes as she took them off. One peek, that’s all I need. What’s the worst she’ll do? My head turned slightly, but the only thing I saw were her toes sticking out of the water.
“Okay, I’m in!”
The lake still tormented me, but with her in the water, smiling, happy, it didn’t seem so bad.
I still wasn’t going in.
Sitting on the grass, I thought about how stupid this was. Even though Raven wasn’t completely nude—thanks to her undergarments—I should have been in there with her. Laughing, tickling her, maybe even kissing her. But I couldn’t.
“Won’t you come in?” she hollered, her pretty eyes begging me to say yes.
I can’t.
“Can’t you swim?”
I frowned. “Of course I can swim. I just don’t feel like it.”
Her smile faded. “It’s the lake, isn’t it?”
For the first time since I met her, I didn’t want to look at her. Panic consumed my chest, squeezing it until I couldn’t breathe. I rested my arms across my knees and dipped my head, taking in deep, slow breaths. 1… 2… 3… 4… 5… 6… 7…
Something touched my back and I jolted.
“I didn’t feel like swimming, either,” she said.
She leaned her back against mine. For a minute, I thought she was undressed, but I noticed the pile of clothing gone. I knew she was going to prod. Every girl prods.
I’m not telling her a thing, I thought. And it wasn’t just the lake. It was everything. My sister, my brother, my fear. Fear that I’d fail. Fear that I’d get someone else killed. I wanted to brush it all aside, disconnect from the emotion. Back on the farm I could do that, but not here.
But to my surprise, she said nothing. Instead, she hummed. My stomach twisted with nerves, waiting for her to ask me about the lake, but she never did. She rested her head on my shoulder, humming; until that turned to soft breathing.
Staring at the lake, hearing her sleep, made me feel all sorts of crazy. I wanted to break down, cry my eyes out, and I wanted to reach around, grab her and thank her for doing nothing. People had treated me different after Jimri’s death. They were careful and always had a sympathetic look that made me feel like dirt. Raven didn’t do any of that. She didn’t know about my past and she didn’t force me to talk about it—which I found refreshing. She was content to just sit.
